joy ellen sauter
Bio
Joy lives in Seattle, Washington, but is a native east coaster. She has kids and dogs- all adopted through foster care. She writes about mental health, history, pop culture, foster care, trauma, human rights, and parenting.
Stories (15/0)
Down Right Worthy is the Cutest Girl on Instagram
I was scrolling through my Instagram last evening. I was super tired, but unable to let my phone go for the night. During my half-hearted scrolling using only my one thumb, hoping to catch some useless celebrity gossip or last minute news. In an ad for Tik Tok, or a suggestion to follow. I can’t honestly remember now. I discovered Down Right Worthy, or @downrightworthy.
By joy ellen sauter3 years ago in Humans
The Ten Best Will-They-or-Won't They Comedies To Stream Right Now
Spring is in the air. Glorious spring. It feels like everything is opening back up in the world. There is hope in the wind. The sun is shining bright in the sky. It’s apropos right now to smell the flowers, enjoy the sunshine, and binge on a TV comedy with a will-they-or-won’t-they romance.
By joy ellen sauter3 years ago in Humans
A Capitalist, a Murderer, a Gambling Bet, a Brain Injury, and an Earthquake
The cigar smoke in Leland Stanford’s parlor hung heavy in the air. The lucky men who attended Stanford’s elaborate dinner party in the spring of 1872 were brimming with privilege and money. Their wool vests barely buttoned around their swollen stomachs. Brandy in their hands, they discussed the current events of the day from the sweetness of Stanford's mansion in San Francisco.
By joy ellen sauter3 years ago in FYI
Resisting the Urge To Overspend
Consumption and the capitalist dream. America loves it. I love it. The rise of dopamine when we press “place order” is doubled when we get another jolt of dopamine from a package at our front door a few days later. Almost as exciting as the feeling of getting a birthday present. Gift wrapped in a perfect box for our pleasure and enjoyment.
By joy ellen sauter3 years ago in Lifehack
Could Eminem Be a Feminist?
Eminem and I are almost the same age, and it feels apropos to write this article and mention our age similarities. I am definitely not in the category of stalker, or super fan. It’s not weird, so don’t make it sound weird, OK. I have been a fan of Eminem’s work for twenty years.
By joy ellen sauter3 years ago in Beat
Worth an Inch of Star
My hung awkwardly off the table in the exam room. My naked legs sticking to the crinkled sanitary paper that broke the silence in the room when I moved. I looked down at my white sandals. They were dirty, and my toes were caked with mud.
By joy ellen sauter3 years ago in Futurism
My Coworker Hired Someone To Kill Her Husband
She had a tone deaf quality, an aura of entitlement that felt so out of place it was easy to dismiss. Clear to me now it was a shield against her own feelings of entrapment in a life that was unexpected in its unhappiness.
By joy ellen sauter3 years ago in Criminal
I Can't Get a Doctor to Remove My Uterus
Sitting on crinkly paper in a hospital gown, my naked butt kept moving impatiently. Each move sent the noise from the paper echoing through the room. My feet dangled off the side of the exam table. It made me feel small, and uneasy, unbalanced.
By joy ellen sauter3 years ago in Viva
I Was Called a Liar by My Own Therapist
I grew up working class in a safe neighborhood. I was accepted into college but was the third generation to attend. It wasn’t a surprise, it was expected I would attend. It was expected I would succeed. It was a place of privilege.
By joy ellen sauter3 years ago in Psyche
- Top Story - March 2021
The Summer My Cousin DiedTop Story - March 2021
The following contains graphic depictions of a violent crime, and may trigger some readers. He was missing for three days and the police never looked for him. It’s hard to know, so many years later, if the police in Philadelphia routinely didn’t look too hard for missing children living in a homeless shelter. Christopher’s fault was that he liked to trade baseball cards, and at the age of 12 still had a friendly, trusting nature. Baseball had a dark underbelly in its trading cards.
By joy ellen sauter3 years ago in Horror