Joy Sandwich

On Episode 75 of the Joy Sandwich Podcast, Jessica and Non say hello to new guest and all-around wonderful human, Nathan (aka: Bubbawheat), to discuss the joy of superheroes! Nathan runs the website FlightsTightsandMovieNights.com where he reviews superhero and comic book movies, of which there are so many! We chat joyfully through the joys of superhero movies you've never heard of, some of our recent favorites, some of our favorite all-time superhero movies and characters, what defines a a superhero, what draws us to superhero stories, and so much more! Thanks to Bubbawheat for joining us, and thanks to you for listening! And as always, embrace your joy!   RECENT JOYS Nathan has watched and reviewed every single major superhero movie ever made! That's over 400 movies! Jessica and Non level up their Dungeons & Dragons characters!   JOYS MENTIONED Spider-Woman Daredevil: Unrated Iron Man Powerless X-Men Logan Death of Superman Ms. Marvel Spider-Gwen Silk The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Cla

On Episode 74 of the Joy Sandwich podcast, Jessica and Non say hello again to David Huntsberger to chat about the Joys of Television! We explore all the reasons why television brings us joy, including what tv meant to us as children, what television means to us on a philosophical level, our obsession with technology, how our tv viewing habits can define us as humans, some of our favorite television shows, and so much more joyful stuff! Thanks to David for being our guest, and thanks to you, dear joy monger, for listening! Oh, and before we go, Joy Sandwich is on Patreon! You can go there to support the show, and you can get special rewards. Woot! As always, embrace your joy!   RECENT JOYS Dave's recent joy is a nostalgic one: Screen-printing "Cool Beer" t-shirts for Professor Blastoff fans! Jessica's recent joy is Scooby's adorable habit of wanting to walk himself, by putting the leash in his mouth. Proof here. Non's recent joy is the tasty (and gluten free!) IPA No. 5 from Groundbreaker Brewing!  

On Episode 73 of the Joy Sandwich podcast, Jessica and Non say hello again to Emily Mackay to discuss the magic and film-nerdy joy of the Sundance Film Festival! Emily, a Utah native, has been going to Sundance for years, so we pick her brain about her Sundance origin story, some of her favorite all-time Sundance films, her Sundance star moments, super secrets of Sundance Film Festival going, and her favorite films from this year's Sundance Film Festival! It's a Sundance extravaganza!  Thank you to Emily for sharing your joy with us, and thank you, dear joy monger, for listening! And go read Emily's Sundance movie reviews on her website! And as always, embrace your joy!   RECENT JOYS LEGO Batman Movie John Wick: Chapter 2  Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven   SUNDANCE MOVIES MENTIONED I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore Colossal A Ghost Story Mudbound Brigsby Bear Ingrid Goes West The Discovery Killing Ground Band Aid To the Bone Crown Heights Rememory Thoroughbred Manifesto

On Episode 72 of the Joy Sandwich podcast, Jessica and Non welcome back Kory Stamper to the show to discuss her new book, Word By Word! Kory shares the story of her new book, Word By Word, how it came to be, what the writing process was like, and why words matter. Word By Word, to our delight, is a book about language, and it's also partially about Kory's story with words and how she came to be a lexicographer and editor at Merriam-Webster.  We also discuss Merriam-Webster's stance against the spread of "alternative facts" on Twitter. Plus, fart goblins and secret words Kory's family uses! Oh, and did we mention we're giving away a free signed copy of Word By Word?! See below for details! Thank you to Kory for sharing her book with us! And thank you, dear listener, for tuning in. And as always, embrace your joy!    WORD BY WORD GIVEAWAY: We are giving away one free signed copy of Kory Stamper's new book, Word By Word! Contest opens March 13 and ends March 26! Click the Rafflecopter link&nb

On Episode 71 of the Joy Sandwich Podcast, Non sits down with Jennifer E. Snyder, friend, fellow podcaster, writer, and author of the new book, 100 Days of Discussion! Jennifer recently wrote, designed, and published 100 Days of Discussion, a book that challenges us to be more curious, ask more questions, and engage more intently with each other. Jennifer and Non talk about the joy of asking questions, how asking questions can build relationships, the amazing CYOP Residency, and so much more inspiring stuff.  Thanks so much for listening! And as always, embrace your joy!       RECENT JOYS Jennifer finds joy in dogs tilting heads in curiosity, and the sounds that the Shopify app makes when she gets a book sale! Non finds joy in recent rain and the green hills that come with it!   JENNIFER SNYDER'S JOYFUL LINKS Website: JenniferESnyder.com Twitter: @jenniferesnyder Book: 100 Days of Discussion Podcast: Creating Your Own Path Podcast Instagram: @jenniferesnyder Residency:

On Episode 70 of the Joy Sandwich Podcast, Jessica and Non invite "end of year friend" Justin on the show to discuss our Most Joyful Moments, Movies, Television, and Books of 2016! Despite all of the depressing stuff that happened in 2016, we still had enough joy to go around, from our Top 5 Movies of 2016 to our favorite books, television, and adventures/moments! Thank you so much for listening! Please follow the show on Twitter @joysandwich and find our episodes online at joysandwich.com. And as always, embrace your joy!   RECENT JOYS Justin is rewatching Twin Peaks in anticipation for the new series premiere on May 21, 2017! Justin is teaching his five-year-old daughter card games!  Non is running again, and gleans joy in chest colds! Non watched Meru, a documentary about three mountain climbers who are just nuts! Jessica is finding joy in people, making connections, getting to know new people, hanging with friends at the coffee shop!   SOME OF OUR FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2016 Mancheste

We're back, joy mongers! On Episode 69 of the Joy Sandwich podcast, we talk about what's most fresh on our mind: the JOY OF NEW ZEALAND! We talk the joy of the entire country of New Zealand, and give you some New Zealand travel tips, New Zealand adventures you need to go on, and New Zealand B&Bs you should visit! We had such a joy while traveling in New Zealand (yes, including Hobbiton!), and wanted to share that joy, in detail, with you! Thanks so much for listening!   LINKS Twitter: @joysandwich @readschmead @subjectplusverb Web: joysandwich.com iTunes: Joy Sandwich And as always, embrace your joy!   RECENT JOYS Manchester by the Sea: The best written film of 2016. So sad, but worth seeing.  Dungeons and Dragons with Ilan: Ilan is the greatest DM ever! And we love playing with Crystal. Boom.  Women's March in Los Angeles: So great. If you couldn't make the march, you can still make an impact. Here are 10 things to do over the next 100 days. Supporting Partners: Having supportive

On Episode 68 of the Joy Sandwich podcast, Jessica and Non sit down to focus on Love and Compassion, and how that way of thinking (and living!) can bring us all more joy. And most importantly, how it can bring others joy.  Thank you to Andrew, Dwight, and Kristy for your contributions of love and compassion! You folks make our hearts swell. And as always, embrace your joy!   RECENT JOYS Arrival: The deeply human science fiction tale that focuses on how compassion, critical thinking, and open communication can lead us to brighter places. It's an affecting tale that is especially resonant with all the goings-on of the world today. Go see it! The Glass Castle: Jeannette Walls wrote this memoir about her bonkers childhood. It's sad and inspiring and it's going to be a movie soon from the same guy who did Short-Term 12. Read it! The Accountant: Some fun moments. Not as effective as John Wick, but still fun. Accountfleck!   GIVING BACK Be open. Be kind. Communicate clearly. Have conversations. Employ

On Episode 67 of the Joy Sandwich podcast, Jessica and Non sit down with Dave Hart of Pop Culture Case Study to discuss the Joy of the Less Traveled Path! Today's topic comes directly from Dave's brain! We hear about Dave's origin story with the less traveled path, the specific moment in his life that changed his path forever, how struggles and obstacles help shape our perspectives, the path that led to Dave becoming a psychologist, how humans grow, what makes humans wise, and so much other good stuff. This has been #pathtalk! Thanks to Dave for sharing his joy with us, and thanks to you for listening, joy mongers! And as always, embrace your joy!   RECENT JOYS Dave catches up with the Roger Ebert documentary, Life Itself, reminding himself that movies are "empathy machines" Dave also recently received his Masters degree and his PhD dissertation was approved! Non and Jessica embrace joy by celebrating Scooby's 10th birthday! Jessica finds joy in the AMAZING support from Non (note: I, Non, am writing thes

On Episode 66 of the Joy Sandwich podcast, Jessica and Non say hello again to their friend Raymond Obstfeld, author of the new Mycroft Holmes comic book series! That's right, today we're talking about the joy that is the new comic book series from Titan Comics, Mycroft Holmes, co-written by Raymond with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar! In this episode, we talk about Raymond's writing of the Mycroft Holmes comic book, his love of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories of Sherlock Holmes, the origin story of writing the comic for Titan Comics, collaborating with basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and how this Holmes story is part action-adventure, part Indiana Jones, part western, and part mystery! Thanks to Raymond for being a guest on the show, and thank you for listening! If you like stories, comics, and writing, please head out to your local comic book shop and pick up Mycroft Holmes today! Issues 1-3 are out now! And as always, embrace your joy! RECENT JOYS The subversive and hilarious Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Woo

On Episode 65 of the Joy Sandwich podcast, Non sits down with friend, coworker, and creative nonfiction extraordinaire, Janna Marlies Maron! Janna is the editor and publisher of Under the Gum Tree, which is a reader supported, quarterly literary arts magazine that publishes creative nonfiction and visual art.  And guess what? Under the Gum Tree is celebrating its 5th anniversary! Not only is there no fee to submit your nonfiction stories this month, but there will also be an amazing simulcast/smorgasborde of creative nonfiction literary magazines on October 29 at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET. Learn more here! In this episode, Janna shares her origin story with reading, creative nonfiction, telling stories without shame, and the impetus for starting this amazing literary magazine. If you dig stories, you'll adore this episode! Thanks to Janna for being a guest on Joy Sandwich, and thank you listeners for listening! And as always, embrace your joy! RECENT JOYS Janna sits front row center at a Paul McCartney

Joy Sandwich: The Joy of Language with Kory Stamper On Episode 64 of the Joy Sandwich podcast, we delve into the Joy of Language with Merriam-Webster lexicographer/editor and new author Kory Stamper! As you know, both Jessica and Non are language nerds, so it was such an honor to have Kory on the show to delight us with her knowledge of language, relaying stories about working as an editor at Merriam-Webster, her favorite swear words, and writing her new book (out in March 2017 and available for pre-order now!) Word By Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries!  We discuss Kory's origin story with words, growing up speaking German, studying language at an early age, how George Orwell's 1984 got her wheels turning, falling in love with language, prescriptivism vs. descriptivism, and so much more word-nerdy goodness! Thanks so much to Kory for being a guest on Joy Sandwich. And thanks to you for listening, joy mongers! And as always, embrace your joy!   RECENT JOYS Kory picks up her daughter from the Adir

From the ropes comes Episode 63 of the Joy Sandwich podcast with guests Brad and Bridget on the Joy of Wrestling! Both Brad and Bridget (or "Bradget" for short) find so much joy in the sport/art/entertainment/culture of wrestling that it is just infectious and lovely to listen to.  On this episode, we break down what wrestling is all about (we know nothing), the fascinating history of wrestling (Attitude Era!), the blood (crimson mask!), the drugs, the sweat, the "smarks," and the storytelling of wrestling! Thanks so much to Brad and Bridget for sharing their joy of wrestling with us! And thank you, joy monger, for listening! And as always, embrace your joy! JOYFUL, SWEATY LINKS Summer Slam WWE Divas RAINN The Wrestler and the Cornflake Girl   CONNECT WITH US @joysandwich Facebook.com/joysandwichpodcast   Find joy in Joy Sandwich? Please leave us a joyful rating and review in iTunes! It helps, and brings us joy!  :D

On Episode 62 of the Joy Sandwich podcast, Non sits down with author and all-around smartypants and lovely human, Evelyn Skye! Evelyn wrote a book, The Crown's Game, which is great and you should all go read it pronto. Evelyn also has a ton of fascinating things to say about creativity, determinedly following our passions, a writer's origin story, balancing the wild abandon of the artist with the necessary structure of a disciplined writer, and that time she was offered a job by the CIA. If you love reading, writing, and just being super inspired creatively, we think you'll adore this book! Thank you to Evelyn, and to you for listening! And as always, embrace your joy!     PASADENA LOVES YA BOOK FESTIVAL Evelyn will be at Pasadena Loves YA book festival on September 17 from 12-4pm! As will we (or at least Non will be)! You should come meet Evelyn and other amazing authors! The event is totally FREE and you can RSVP on Facebook here.   CONNECT WITH US ONLINE @EvelynSkyeYA on Twitter Evelyn_Sky

Oh, to be curious! On Episode 61 of the Joy Sandwich podcast, Jessica and Non welcome Captain Curious himself, Jeff Wagg of the College of Curiosity, onto the show to discuss the Joy of Curiosity! Jeff is a truly fascinating human with gargantuan levels of knowledge about all the things. He's a deeply curious person doing some pretty wonderful things in the world—spreading the joy of curiosity, creative learning, and exploration! In addition to discussing the joy of curiosity, we talk about the witches of The Salem Witch Trials, why it's important for us to ask questions, Jeff's incredible background (one of the first AOL employees + being one of The Amazing Randi's speed dial numbers!), skepticism, paranormal hunters, the dangers of curiosity, and the "pale blue dot!"   Thanks so much for listening, joy mongers! And as always, embrace your joy!   RECENT JOYS Jeff is filled with joy finding characters on Pokemon Go adventures! Non finds joy in recent trips to the beach for surfing with Josh (even af

On Episode 60 of the Joy Sandwich podcast, Jessica and Non are back together again for an hour of silliness! That's right, we're talking about the Joy of Silliness today! We discuss why silliness brings us joy, specific ways we love to be silly (dancing to Footloose, making up songs, not giving a care in the world what other people think of us, being present!), and much more. Don't miss out on our silly Disney song singing at the end of the episode too! And as always, embrace your joy!   RECENT JOYS The amazing sci-fi/horror/adventure Netflix show, Stranger Things Variety interview with Stranger Things creators, the Duffer Brothers The "West Wing meets The Good Wife meets Men in Black" show, BrainDead   MENTIONED THINGS Non's sweet, hip-thrusty dance moves Silliness leads to more creativity   CONNECT WITH US @joysandwich on Twitter Facebook.com/joysandwichpodcast on Facebook joysandwich.com Leave us a joyful rating & review in iTunes!

On Episode 59 of the Joy Sandwich podcast, Non invites the lovely Dwight Hurst, host of The Broken Brain Podcast, onto the show to talk about Joy & Tragedy. Both Dwight and Non delve deep in conversation about how we can reconcile those two things, both joy and tragedy. Tragic things happen around us all of the time, whether it's in our own personal world or happening to our fellow humans. How do we reconcile our feelings of wanting to embrace joy while being mindful of the tragic things that are happening to us or around us? We talk about perspective, control, and some specific ways we can help ourselves and each other during these times!  Thanks again to Dwight for being on the show! And remember, "look for the helpers." And as always, embrace your joy!   RECENT JOYS   Black Lives Matter and Police Hold a Cookout! Dwight goes on a soda pop adventure! Non and Jessica are going to be moving into their own apartment!   FOLLOW US ONLINE   Dwight on Twitter @Breakabrain The Broken Br

On Episode 58 of the Joy Sandwich podcast, Non goes on a solo mission through some exciting upcoming guests on the show, recent joys in television, movies, books, and friends, then delves briefly into why Joy Sandwich (and joy) is important to us! We haven't had the time to do a legitimate recording, so we hope you can glean a sliver of joy in this episode. Lots of great stuff upcoming on the show! Stay tuned! Thanks so much for listening! And as always, embrace your joy!   RECENT JOYS Movies: The Lobster, Sing Street, Parenthood Books: The Name of the Wind, Hyperbole and a Half, Barnaby the Firefly, The Autumnlands TV: Preacher, Humans, Marcella   FIND US ONLINE Twitter: @joysandwich Facebook: Facebook.com/joysandwichpodcast Leave us a joyful rating/review in iTunes!  

Hello, readers, writers, book nerds, and joy mongers! On Episode 57 of the Joy Sandwich podcast, Jessica and Non are so delighted to welcome Norm and Becky Leonard onto the show! Norm and Becky are lovely humans who have created their own book publishing company, Peachwood Publishing, the "family run craft bookery!" So cool. Plus, they have their first book out, the hilarious and sweet and truly adorable Barnaby the Firefly! In this episode, we talk about the wonder of words and language, the importance of storytelling and reading to your children, the ins and outs of book publishing and creating your own publishing company (with kids as integral business partners!), parenthood, screenwriting (Norm does dark!) doulas (Becky, you rock!), creative independence, birth stories (Becky has a book coming out in the fall called The Nourished Pregnancy!), and, yes, we even talk extensively about placentas!   Special 10% Off Discount for Joy Sandwich Listeners! + A Book Giveaway Game on Twitter!   Save 1

On Episode 56 of the Joy Sandwich podcast, Jessica and Non welcome astounding comic book artist and creator Benjamin Dewey to the show! We dig into Benjamin's work, specifically The Autumnlands and The Tragedy Series, as well as talk about Benjamin's childhood growing up in a museum with secret passages (like a middle-grade book protagonist!), the profundity of Carl Sagan, the intermingling of tragedy/absurdity and joy, the responsibility of being a creator, balancing satisfaction and happiness, and so much more! This was a pretty sprawling conversation about art, philosophy, religion, science, and happiness. We loved it! And we thank Benjamin Dewey for guesting! And as always, embrace your joy!   Recent Joys Books: Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs by Lisa Randall, The Varieties of Scientific Experience by Carl Sagan, Cosmos by Carl Sagan, Waking Up by Sam Harris Movies: Contact (dir. Robert Zemeckis)   Follow Us Online Benjamin on Twitter: @BenjaminDewey Benjamin on the Web: Benjam