I am a writer and a former academic (Comparative Literature and Italian Studies). I taught courses in Italian language, literature and film at Vanderbilt University. I hail from Mexicans on my dad’s side, Italian-Texans on my mom’s. I am a nature lover, traveler, mom of a teenager, and long-time resident of East Nashville, Tennessee. I grew up in ‘fabulous Las Vegas’ in the 70s and 80s, spent 12 years in Colorado—where I was born—and lived briefly in the Pacific Northwest. I have been uncomfortable in the south ever since I moved here. I am inspired, delighted and surprised by this region and its people almost every single day.

Daily Joy is a little burst of fun + creativity in your inbox, of the curious delights I find—about myself and others—every single day.

Get my dose of Daily Joy in your inbox a few times per week, plus a weekly round up of what I’ve been reading, watching or listening to. Come along! I promise it’ll be fun.

“Every encounter is an opportunity to be moved, to be curious, soft and malleable, to share JOY.” —Ross Gay

There is too much trauma in the world. Too many wars, too much loneliness, political strife, heartache and sadness all around us. Some of us are simply lacking FUN. Everyday delights, joys, community and kindness —something I find everywhere I look if I just stop and take note—exist in between the sadness and the pain. While this is life-affirming, I also live with mental health struggles (complex PTSD, depression and mood disorders), and I succumb to worry, anxiety, “catastrophic thinking” and isolation.

When I write with humor about my life with my husband and teenager, my health struggles and need for connection or validation from my family and friends, or just any kind of link to the creative energy all around me, I am reminded of the healing power of writing. This platform of connection with other writers and creatives is also a salve against the constant talking and the stories swirling all day inside my head. So come along! It’ll keep me from talking into the void.