2024 was a tough year. The outside world often seemed one sesspool of darkness. So for my round up, I wanted to focus on the light and share the big and small (and sometimes furry) things that brought me joy.

1. New Orleans. This year, I traveled twice to New Orleans, once with my partner and another time with my best friend. Each time, I ate good food, enjoyed great music and art, and bought too many books. There is something about this city (its history, its spirit, its strange, moss-covered trees). Like Florence, it became a city I could fall in love with again and again.
2. Somebody Somewhere. In this comedic drama starring actress and cabaret singer Bridget Everett, it was so nice to see normal (though very funny) people on the small screen. This series is a delightful journey in all 3 seasons on MAX, and Everett in particular showed a sense of free joy that made me smile (see her in this clip on the Tonight Show for just a taste). I hope to see so many more projects from Everett and the whole cast.
3. Housemates: A Novel by Emma Copley Eisenberg. It’s been a very long time since I read a book that made me feel seen. This novel by a Philly writer is a classic road trip that wrestles with questions about queerness, bodies and artistic ambition. Highly, highly recommend. Also, Eisenberg’s writing on fat bodies in fiction is some of the most insightful I’ve encountered.
4. His Three Daughters. I had this movie on my Netflix list for months, but I didn’t get a chance to watch it until that weird week between Christmas and New Years where time doesn’t exist and airport rules are in effect (soft pants all day, 11 am cookies, three movies a day). It was a beautiful show case for three very different actresses and has cemented my rule that I will watch anything Natasha Lyonne acts in and/or produces.
5. My Two Cats, Winston and Percy. This year, I knew we wanted to adopt a cat, but I hadn’t considered two. We decided to take the leap, and now we will never not be two (or more) cat people.
6. Going back to Grad School. I had been debating getting an MFA in Fiction for years, and in 2024, I decided to go for it. I had a lot of expectations going in and either loved it or hated it, depending on the day, but by the end of the semester, I was very glad I did it. I am happy to discuss my experience with anyone who is considering it, but I will say, I don’t think I have ever written so much so consistently.
7. Mary Robinette Kowal’s Lady Astronaut Series. After a meteor causes a severe climate disruption, humanity must develop a space program to get people off the  that (gasp!) has rely on women to do the math. It sounds stressful (and it is; not only do they need to figure out how to get off planet with 1960s tech, but the characters encounter period appropriate racism, misogyny and politics), but this series has become my comfort read because each book is structured like a mystery that is solved by extremely competent women. The latest one, The Martian Contingency, is set on the new Mars colony and is due out in March 2025.
8. Women Music Makers. In no particular order: Taylor, Beyonce, Billie, Cynthia, Arianna, Chappell, Olivia, Renee, Janelle, Doechii … I could go on and on, and in 2025, I hope they all do, too. Which leads me too…
9. Buying music. I can’t remember the first CD I bought (I’m guessing Jagged Little Pill at the Sam Goody at the Burlington Mall), but I now remember my first vinyl. Not only do I get to physically own music again, but I can put a record on in my office and chill out while I work on my art.

What brought you joy in 2025?