Welcome to The Shrieking Cactus

A newsletter for prickly people trying to achieve or maintain emotional resiliency, by healthcare journalist and nature lover, Joy V.

Hi cacti!

I'm Joy Victory, an Austin, TX-based journalist/writer/editor.

I write this newsletter primarily for people with a family history of severe mental illness. I explore systemic and cultural barriers that exacerbate suffering, and I discuss tools that helped me develop emotional resiliency. I also write about native Texas wildlife when the mood hits.

My story

I have several close family members with severe mental illness, therefore I have a lot of protective spines. I’ve written a memoir dubbed How to Heal Your Cactus (are you sensing a theme yet?) about learning to grow in spite of the challenges. It was a two-time finalist for the Writers’ League of Texas manuscript contest.

I hope to get it published one day.

My spirit plant is the prickly pear, if that’s not already obvious.

Thank you for reading!

This newsletter is my labor of love for prickly people. If you enjoy my writing, please support my work and buy me a coffee. ☕️🤎