by Ross Gay
First published 2019
Ross Gay sets himself a challenge: document the delights he encounters in one year, from birthday to birthday. His essays range from single paragraphs to five pages, capturing moments we typically miss in our rushed lives. Gay writes about Botan Rice Candy wrappers that dissolve on your tongue, a trembling crossing guard he imagines ferrying souls across the River Styx, and the silent nod shared between Black strangers. He finds joy in pickup basketball, friends who use air quotes without shame, and the natural world around him. His garden, sidewalk flowers, birds, bees, mushrooms, and trees become sources of wonder. Gay does not ignore the difficulties of his existence as a Black man in America or the violence embedded in consumer culture. He acknowledges loss and terror alongside beauty. This is not a self-help manual or inspirational guide, though readers may find it works that way. Gay argues for creating space in our lives for delight, showing how close observation of the world reveals our connections to each other and to nature itself.
Genres: nature, essays, african-american, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
Period: 21st Century
274 pages · Hardcover · Algonquin Books