Journal
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Beach Glass
By Joy Lynn Clark 04/18/2026 It was the summer of 2004 or 2005 when I met my son’s father at the studio. I had never worked with my step niece-cousin before but I was excited. I called her my cousin because we were the exact same age even though she was my step niece really. People would shake their heads as I tried to explain to them that she is my stepbrother’s half sisters stepdaughter. She had just moved to the north side of Chicago from Dayton OH. When we arrived at the studio, we were stuck in the waiting area because the last group was still in session. My…
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OC
By Joy Lynn Clark 1/27/2026 Back in the day I had lots of jobs. Another one of my earliest positions was as a junior graphic designer for a design firm. I did business card layouts and club flyers mostly. I was still a production student but I had already taken graphic design classes and that was enough to get the job. After about a month, I decided that the owner just was too cheap. I was always begging and begging him to pay me. Turns out, he also had a cell phone shop in the front portion of the office and he was like, “How about this cell phone instead?”.…
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Working with Steve
10/22/2025 By Joy Lynn Clark I already had my own apartment on the southside with my boyfriend who was a dance dj. After I had just done the Jerry Springer Show, I met my first producer at a rap concert. We went to some cool clubs and he introduced me different artists in the cities’ local music scene. I felt guilty going out to meet a man that’s not my boyfriend but I wanted to do more hip/hop and EDM and my boyfriend was more of a old school/deep house/disco dj. He reluctantly accepted that I am trying to further my own career. I felt guilty because he seemed to…
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Jennifer and Joy
09/20/2025 By Joy Lynn Clark I was struggling as a single parent when I moved back home with my parents. It was a humbling experience. At first I worked as a weekend hostess on the breakfast shift at the local diner where I saw all of my former classmates. I held my head up and showed every last one of them to their tables. I also attended bartending school where I earned my certificate. I still had my hopes for radio and television so I kept sending my resume around. I said goodbye to all of my friends on the breakfast shift and started tending bar just 10 minutes from…
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Strange Case
By Joy Lynn Clark 09/06/2025 In spring of 2019 soon after the rains, I decided to lease a studio in the Mellwood Arts Building in Louisville. The space was very industrial and home to several arts groups. My studio was nestled between a dance, pottery, and wax studios (candlemaking). I had just recently met the potters assistant and she said something like, “in training”. I never met the candle maker but, I saw those dancers all the time at first. I ended up deciding to work the graveyard shift after my foul debut singing, “Prostitute” at the very top of my lungs. “Oops” I think to myself as the ballerinas…
