Little Pieces of Hope is a 2021 book about happy-making things in a difficult world

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Todd Doughty’s joyous book from 2021 is titled Little Pieces of Hope: Happy-Making Things in a Difficult World. There is a preview at Google Books. Most of his one-page lists are of Happy-Making Things in a Difficult World.

 

One on page 7 (with links added) is:

 

“Happy-making things in a difficult world:

 

Making friends with strangers while waiting in a long line. Dolly Parton in general, but specifically her bluegrass version of ‘I Get a Kick Out of You.’ A very small bouquet of lilies-of-the-valley. The grace of Simone Biles. Your favorite old T-shirt. Le Creuset. The Meryl Streep parts of the film Julie & Julia. A really good mixtape (or playlist, for you young ones) made for you by someone else. Vintage photos of 1940s NYC.

 

Driving north on the Pacific Coast Highway on a cloudless day when the view is astounding. The smell of a cut lemon. The entire score of Guys and Dolls. That day when you realize you’re finally over someone who dumped you. Grandmothers. Plaid shirts on a crisp fall day. Red velvet cake. Adriana Trigiani’s novel Lucia, Lucia. Someone who says, ‘You were great!’ Someone who says, ‘You look great!’ Someone who says, ‘Don’t do it!’

 

A vividly bright yellow parakeet. The Chrysler Building on a rainy night. David Sedaris’s audio recording of Santaland Diaries. A good run, physically or metaphorically, Leaving a party at precisely the moment when you are having the most fun. Inge Morath’s 1957 photo of that llama in a cab (Google it), A Llama in Times Square. 

 

Four jigsaw puzzle pieces came from OpenClipArt.