Why join Jasper?

My hope with Jasper is to capture some of the whimsy once present in the earlier days of the internet (see: Live Journal or pre-2015-era Tumblr).

All I need from y’all is a lil’ bit of curiosity. In return, I’ll always try and surprise you with something fun, playful, or thoughtful.

Beyond that, you can expect at least one of these elements:

• A micro-essay on cultural matters. Actually, the first thing I ever shared here was an essay about the queerness of change, but it’ll be a lot more light-hearted than that.

• A creative work (like a poem (or two) or a short story).

• Book things (round-ups, reviews, etc.)

• An installment of my YRU Funny interview series (just like this interview with Sheria Mattis).

• A quick check-in. Some weeks I’ll simply offer a bit of playful nonsense and/or a couple updates about this hashtag writer’s life.

What else? Just wait and see!

Who’s behind Jasper?

Hi! My name is Jasper “Jaz” Joyner, and I’m a writer and humorist. My work’s been featured in HuffPo, Teen Vogue, Pride, The Mary Sue, and others. I once ran a satire site called QUNTFRONT. I’m Black, trans, and from the south, and I’m constantly learning how much those facts influence my work.

I chose the name Jasper after the stone because it symbolizes a lot of traits I hope to exude like comfort and reassurance, feelings of optimism, and freedom from fear. Cute, right?!

Even when life’s kicking my ass offline, I hope that Jasper the newsletter bears those same elements for you.

Thank you for reading!

Jasper