Photo of author John Koenig

John Koenig

John Koenig is the creator of The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, which fills gaps in the language of emotion with hundreds of invented words. His original definitions have since appeared in countless short stories, band names and tattoos across the world, with one of them (sonder) even breaking into the language outright. He grew up in Switzerland and lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he works as a freelance designer, editor, voice actor, and writer. He has a ferocious curiosity about the art and science of being human, especially language, mythology, poetry, and the natural world. Whenever he can, he enjoys cycling along the Mississippi, kayaking in the Florida mangroves, or hiking in the Rockies. His work has been acclaimed by New York Magazine, WIRED, Business Insider, John Green, and the guys from Radiolab.

Latest Posts From John

Moment of Tangency: A Glimpse of What Might Have Been

Moment of Tangency: A Glimpse of What Might Have Been

n. a glimpse of life as it might've been, had you made slightly different choices along the way

Lutalica: The Part of Your Identity That Doesn't Fit Into Categories

Lutalica: The Part of Your Identity That Doesn't Fit Into Categories

We all want to belong to something. But part of you is still rattling around inside categories and labels that could never do you justice.

Lutalica: The Part of Your Identity That Doesn't Fit Into Categories

Lutalica: The Part of Your Identity That Doesn't Fit Into Categories

We all want to belong to something. But part of you is still rattling around inside categories and labels that could never do you justice.

Dès Vu: The Awareness That This Will Become A Memory

Dès Vu: The Awareness That This Will Become A Memory

Once in a while you look up, and watch as the present turns into a memory, as if some future you is already looking back on it.

Dès Vu: The Awareness That This Will Become A Memory

Dès Vu: The Awareness That This Will Become A Memory

Once in a while you look up, and watch as the present turns into a memory, as if some future you is already looking back on it.

Ballagàrraidh: The Awareness That You Are Domesticated

Ballagàrraidh: The Awareness That You Are Domesticated

The story of humanity is a move from the countryside to the big city. But it's happened so fast that a part of you still remembers Eden. That longs to leave your car idling in traffic, and flee into the wilderness. But there's another part of you knows that Eden is a fantasy, and you'll always be floating just above it; trailing clouds of civilization wherever you go.

Ballagàrraidh: The Awareness That You Are Domesticated

Ballagàrraidh: The Awareness That You Are Domesticated

The story of humanity is a move from the countryside to the big city. But it's happened so fast that a part of you still remembers Eden. That longs to leave your car idling in traffic, and flee into the wilderness. But there's another part of you knows that Eden is a fantasy, and you'll always be floating just above it; trailing clouds of civilization wherever you go.

Alazia: The Fear That You're No Longer Able to Change

Alazia: The Fear That You're No Longer Able to Change

After so many years wondering what kind of person you were going to become one day, somewhere you forgot that this question actually has an answer, and that 'one day' will eventually arrive. If it hasn't already.

Alazia: The Fear That You're No Longer Able to Change

Alazia: The Fear That You're No Longer Able to Change

After so many years wondering what kind of person you were going to become one day, somewhere you forgot that this question actually has an answer, and that 'one day' will eventually arrive. If it hasn't already.

Koinophobia: The Fear of Being Ordinary

Koinophobia: The Fear of Being Ordinary

When you look back over your life, or try to put it down on paper, you can see more of it now than ever before. And yet it seems somehow diminished. Humble. Almost quaint. So you begin scanning your life, looking for something interesting or beautiful. But all you see is ordinary people assembled in their tiny classrooms and workspaces, each of us moving around in little steps, like tokens on a game board.

Klexos: The Art of Dwelling on the Past

Klexos: The Art of Dwelling on the Past

Your life is written in indelible ink. There's no going back to erase the past, tweak your mistakes, or fill in missed opportunities. When the moment's over, your fate is sealed. But if look closer, you notice the ink never really dries on any our experiences. They can change their meaning the longer you look at them.

Klexos: The Art of Dwelling on the Past

Klexos: The Art of Dwelling on the Past

Your life is written in indelible ink. There's no going back to erase the past, tweak your mistakes, or fill in missed opportunities. When the moment's over, your fate is sealed. But if look closer, you notice the ink never really dries on any our experiences. They can change their meaning the longer you look at them.