Welcome to Joy Ride, a monthly dose of joy, good things, creativity prompts, and gratitude by journalist and author Jennifer Chen. If you like it, please share this newsletter with someone who might like it too.
Your Pep Talk 👏🏼
Recently, I got two BIG rejections that stung and I went down the "Am I a Good Writer?" rabbit hole. Then, a handwritten note from my friend Lydia Kan came in the mail. The card said, "You go girl!" and something she wrote stuck with me: "Normalizing difficulty. Powerfully owning your story. Inspiring others that it's OK to talk about what happens."
I can't tell you how much her kind words lifted me out of the rabbit hole.
My hope is that my email arrives when you need it. When you feel like no one sees you, or that you are worried about what's next. Maybe you've had a day that feels terrible. I see how hard you are working, and you are doing really great. It can be working on giving yourself a break. Working on being a great parent. Working on something that means a lot to you. You’ve got this!
My Latest News 📚
Eighteen months ago, I heard 9/11 survivor Lila Nordstrom talk about health care after the tragedy. Her story stuck with me. This month, I wrote this Glamour article about the struggle for 9/11 survivor health care.
ALSO, I’m excited to share that I wrote a short story for this fun YA anthology. It was fun to go back to college.
Check Out This... 🍿
ARTICLE: This Bon Appétit article “Heads of the Table: Change Makers in the Restaurant Industry,” makes me feel hopeful about the good in the world.
MOVIE: I saw a movie in an actual theater! Shang-Chi: The Legend of the Ten Rings was worth it. Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh could recite the dictionary for all I care.
VIDEO: I can't stop laughing about this Garfield clip set to Mitski. Seriously. Enjoy yourself.
TV SHOWS: I couldn’t decided between raving about season 2 of Ted Lasso or Making It, so I’m endorsing both.
ORGANIZATION: Authors for Voices of Color is an online auction to raise money for racial-justice nonprofits in the publishing, education, and literacy arenas. It closes on Sept. 30 so check it out.
I'm Grateful For... 🐈⬛🐕🐾
Gremlin Gizmo (cat) and Chewie (pug). After Puffball Mittens was returned to his original family, my family wanted to adopt a cat. We adopted Gremlin Gizmo from the Santé D’Or Foundation, and she is awesome. This month, Chewie had pneumonia and it was a tough few days, but he is finally feeling better. I’m super grateful for these two cuties who make every day better.