For our first project, do this: Read 30 entries from Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights as inspiration for your own “essayette” on delight.
In other words, study what Ross Gay is doing in The Book of Delights, and then write an essayette on one of your delights.
The goal here isn’t to imitate or copy The Books of Delights; instead, the goal is to closely study what the author is doing in order to analyze what makes the author’s essayettes tick — and then use that understanding as the inspiration to write our own essayette on delight.
Before reading on, go back and reread the three above bulletpoints. It’s super important that you have a clear picture of the assignment.
Now that you’ve reread the above bulletpoints, please follow these steps:
1. Read this post: The Book of Delights: Poet and Gardener Ross Gay’s Yearlong Experiment in Willful Gladness https://www.brainpickings.org/2019/12/01/ross-gay-book-of-delights/
2. Listen to this: Ross Gay Writes ‘The Book Of Delights’ https://www.npr.org/2020/03/23/820293500/encore-ross-gay-writes-the-book-of-delights
3. Listen to this: The Job Of Delight https://www.thisamericanlife.org/692/the-show-of-delights/act-one-20
4. Read from The Book of Delights. Click here download . Directions: Read 30 entries from the book. Which 30, you ask? It’s up to you. You decide. The most enjoyable way, I think, is to look at the table of contents, and then pick your 30 selections based on curiosity. For example, do any of these titles from the book spark more curiosity than others.
— “Not Grumpy Cat”
— “The High-Five from Strangers, Etc.”
— “Micro-gentrification: WE BUY GOLD”
— “Reckless Air Quotes”
— “Name: Kayte Young; Phone Number: 5550867-5309”
Important point: You are NOT writing an essay about this book. Instead, you are reading 30 entries from this book, so you can write your own essayette on delight.
To me, I instantly want to flip to “The High-Five from Strangers, Etc.” I’m so curious what that essayette is about. So, that’s one way to pick your 30: Zip and zoom non-linearly around the book — based on a kind of whimsical interest in the titles.
