This audio practice note describes a letter-writing campaign dedicated to sharing insider knowledges of Queer Joy. Letter-writing campaigns seek to create a context to share community knowledges of care in ways that can be accessed by members of the community of concern. This campaign begins with a queer invitation to allow members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in our province to write letters about their experience of cultivating queer joy. These letters are then distributed in sessions if a person is struggling to create queer joy in their life. This audio note reviews the care put into the letter-writing invitations. It includes responses from three letter writers and outlines the effects for both readers and writers. I hope that others can create seeds of queer joy in their lives through listening to how others have traversed, creating their queer joy.
All names used in this audio recording are pseudonyms.
Key words: 2SLGBTQIA+; letter writing; queer; joy; isolation; narrative practice; collective narrative practice
Patey, A. (2025). Cultivating queer joy: Letter writing campaign [Audio recording]. International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, (2), https://doi.org/10.4320/NFTH2000
Author pronouns: they/them
Video notes
For more about letter-writing campaigns in narrative therapy, see “Anti-individualist narrative practice: Listening to the echoes of cultural histories” by Stephen Madigan (2012). This paper can be downloaded here.
References
Denborough, D. (2008). Collective narrative practice: Responding to individuals, groups and communities who have experienced trauma. Dulwich Centre Publications.
Maeder, R. (2020). Queer Invitations: Fostering connection between queer young people and their loved ones. International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, (1), 11–23.
Additional sources
Chilisa, B. (2014). Indigenous research is a journey: An interview with Bagele Chilisa by Cheryl White and David Denborough. International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, (2), 41–44.
Denborough, D., Freedman, J., & White, C. (2008). Strengthening resistance: The use of narrative practices in working with genocide survivors. Dulwich Centre Foundation and Evanston Family Therapy Centre.
Gerlitz, J. (2015). Linking lives: Invitations to clients to write letters to clients. International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, (2), 9–18.
Madigan, S. (2011). Narrative therapy: Theory and practice. American Psychological Association.
Madigan, S. (2012). Anti-individualist narrative practice: Listening to the echoes of cultural histories. International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, (1), 27–34.
Okumura, A. (2007). No turning back: Male to female transgender journeys of getting through tough times. International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, (3), 57–66.
