Several months ago -- more than I care to think of at this point, actually -- I read Mireille Guiliano's French Women Don't Get Fat. I enjoyed the book for many reasons, but the thing I found truly captivating was the notion of joie de vivre: living life fully and enjoying every moment. It is a beautiful idea, and one that sometimes loses ground to the sad obsession with "But I don't have this!" or "I'd truly be happy if only I had that!"
As a writer, even the grim moments of life are worth experiencing. It all comes down to that old adage about good and evil: would we understand the existence of one without the knowledge of the other? Could a writer write love if they'd never experienced heartbreak? Would that writer understand heartbreak if they'd never known love? So, although not every story or article or poem found on these pages will be cheery and upbeat, there is something of joie de vivre in all of them... even if the joy you see is the joy of the author creating something and offering it to others.
I wanted to create this literary journal because I am a writer. Many of my friends are writers. Writing is a hard business and I believe it is important for even beginning writers to have a forum in which to raise their voices: to see and be seen; to hear and be heard.
Welcome, then, and enjoy!
- Tara Avery
editor@joiedevivremag.com