His book The Book of Delights is a collection of short, meditative essays chronicling his year-long practice of noticing and writing about small joys—what he calls “delights.” Beginning on his forty-second birthday, Gay set out to write one “miniature essay” each day for a year, crafting what he affectionately terms “essayettes.” With a voice that blends humor, curiosity, and deep emotional resonance, Gay invites readers to slow down and savor the extraordinary moments hidden in the ordinary, transforming everyday life into a practice of joyful attention.
Through his writing, Gay shows how gratitude can be a creative practice, a way to deepen our connection to ourselves and others while finding restoration in the act of noticing.
In Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, Gay creates a vivid tapestry of appreciation for life’s joys, losses, and connections, showing how gratitude can be both a creative practice and a restorative act.