Untangling a Beating Archive

of Happiness: A Memoir

​By Mirabeth Braude

I cried in class today. I wasn’t supposed to, but when I opened my mouth for words to come out, my throat locked and tears streamed down instead. Between sniffs and hiccups, I did my best to discuss the draft of my current project, titled “Conversations on Happiness: An Academic Memoir.” As the dialogue between myself, classmates, and my professor came toward a close, my professor asked, “and, do you feel happy?” To which I replied, “I’m not exactly sure.”

"Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life."
— Omar Khayyam, Persian Poet, Philosopher, and Mathematician