#86 What's Bringing Me Joy
Tig Notaro: Hello Again, Conventionally Yours, Chicky Nuggies, Tears of the Kingdom
Quotes & Things
“Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.”
I think this is a monthly newsletter now because I just can’t seem to get anything written more often than that. Maybe we will get to the every-other-week stage again at some point, but for now my health and my family require that I cut back on writing a bit. However, writing this newsletter brings me great joy, no matter the frequency, so I will keep bringing it to you as often as I am able.
Writing and reading are great joys to me. Seeing my kids enjoying themselves with friends and accomplishing something hard fill me with delight. And also, there are a few things in the media world that have made me giddy with laughter or brought me deep satisfaction, and I’d like to share them with you now.
Comedy
Tig Notaro: Hello Again
I first learned of Tig Notaro when a portion of her show called “Live” was aired on NPR’s This American Life. It chronicles the string of tragic medical and personal hits she received over the course of four months, including the death of her mother and a serious cancer diagnosis. She basically processes through her feelings about the illness in real time, but it’s funny and life-affirming. It’s basically in the vein of “If I don’t laugh, I’m gonna cry.”
But I want to talk about her newest special on Amazon Prime, which is not about serious topics at all. Tig is known for her dead pan delivery, and has evolved into more of a storytelling comic rather than one that tells jokes. This special leans into the stories of her life, and while she is incredible at recounting them, I am also just amazed at how many genuinely funny things happen to her. My husband and I were laughing so hard our abs hurt and we had to wipe away tears. The special is very clean, appropriate for a lot of audiences, so if you want to medicate yourself with belly laughs, look no further than this special.
Books
Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert
I loved this gay romance that was equal parts nerd-fest and emotional healing. Conrad and Alden are part of a YouTube gaming channel that play a fictionalized version of Magic: The Gathering. Most people tune in to see their amazing game play, but also the rivalry between these two who never seem to get along. All the players of the channel are gifted tickets to the convention on the West coast and a chance to compete against the pros, but getting there is a bit of a problem. Conrad is strapped for cash and Alden doesn’t fly, so they must road trip from New Jersey to Las Vegas, learning how to get along and realizing that what they might need is each other.
I loved that one of the characters was neurodiverse and wasn’t a caricature. However, I was annoyed at the autistic man’s moms, one of whom is a neurologist and should know better, who kept trying to shape him into something he could never be. Since my son is big into Magic: The Gathering, and has insisted I learn how to play, I was able to follow the descriptions of the game play. I don’t think it’s necessary to enjoy the book, but it does help. I also loved that this novel was a bit of a therapy session in believing in yourself and that you are enough and worthy of love just as you are. A very sweet story. It’s open door, but not graphic because the sex is focused more on intimacy and emotion. A nerdy, romantic treat.
Music
“Chicky Nuggies”
Via a random and circuitous route, we stumbled upon this song in Apple Music in the car one day, and it just makes my kids laugh. And anything that makes my kids laugh this hard is a plus in my book. Is this created by someone with no discernable musical talent cashing in on the popularity of The Mandalorian and Grogu? Almost definitely, but it has provided moments of levity when we needed it most, so provenance be damned. Warning: it is catchy and somewhat annoying and therefore will be guaranteed to get stuck in your head. Press play at your own risk.
Gaming
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Even though I became a gamer last year, I am still surprised at how much I enjoy immersing myself in a world where I have to fight monsters and complete quests like finding someone’s goats. The game that started it all was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I fell hard for this game. I loved exploring the world, talking to its inhabitants, and helping people along the way.
Tears of the Kingdom takes Breath of the Wild and expands the world to the sky and the depths below, with the bonus addition of caves that are always fun to discover and explore. We also have the ability to build all sorts of contraptions, vehicles and machines, which makes getting around the world easier. We have the main storyline, of course, but also so many side quests and adventures that it will take me many, many hours to complete everything the game has to offer.
I have spent hours trying to protect Hyrule, uncovering the mystery of what happened to Princess Zelda, saving a village from pirates, and serving as a Lyft for various tired Korok’s throughout the land. I thought Breath of the Wild was fun, but I feel like Tears of the Kingdom is an improvement in so many ways: the gameplay is less focused on fighting (though there is still that) and more on strategizing, has more intriguing shrines, better graphics, and new kinds of adventures like becoming part of a monster-fighting group, strategizing how to defeat them together.
So basically, if I don’t meet my reading goal this year, I blame Zelda.
A Question for You?
What’s bringing you joy these days?
As always, thank you for reading!