Of Joy That Kills draws its name from Kate Chopin’s masterful short story, “The Story of an Hour” (1894). This ironic sketch of freedom and confinement has been a constant companion since I first read it many years ago. Old and worn, often I revisit it, finding each time a whole new joy. So, when I decided that it was finally time to go ahead and start a blog, it only seemed natural to draw inspiration from an author whose influence has spread far beyond the sound of my fingers tapping at keys
“There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully. What was it? She did not know; it was too subtle and elusive to name. But she felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the scents, the color that filled the air.”
Back in August when I started Of Joy that Kills, I wasn’t quite sure what the blog would be. The problem for me has never been writing. Rather, writing has been a great comfort and constant exercise ever since Mrs. Diaz made the mistake of saying I had a talent worth pursuing back when I was in the fourth grade. No, the problem was never writing so much as deciding what to write about. At school, I learned to talk about fiction, film, and feminism. At home, I cultivated my love of food, horror, and television. Any of these topics would have been a decent direction for a blog, but specificity was never my strong suit. Still, I was more than happy in the knowledge that if blogging didn’t work out, I could always repurpose the website and start a metalcore band. It’s never too late to be a rock star, after all.
The smart thing would have been to pick a strain and go with it, but when placed between logic and emotion I always steer towards the heart. So, if the things that bring me joy are multifaceted, then the blog is multifaceted, and if a lack of direction is what kills the project, then the name was a harbinger of it all.
Four months in, the blog is still a pup, but a happy pup, trotting about from park to park, and I just wanted to pop in a quick, personal thank you to anyone who’s been following along the curved path.
I wish you all the best through in the new year and I want you to know that come 2019, if you’re hungry and need a place to eat, if you’re bored and need something to watch, if the internet suddenly implodes and you’re looking for a book to read, I’ll be here for you. Whether it’s the page, the plate, or the screen, Of Joy That Kills is here to help you find what you need.
“When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease–of joy that kills.”
I hope you’ve enjoyed following along with the things that I love, and I am very much looking forward to sharing more of my Killer Joys with you this coming year; in this same vein, I sincerely hope you’ll share some of your own joys with me, too. Wherever the path leads though, I hope our hearts are stronger than Mrs. Mallard’s, that we might survive
Have a happy, safe and exciting New Year. I’ll be typing back at you come 2019.
