Mikki Brammer’s work consistently explores themes of aging, mortality, and grief, which are central to Good Joy, Bad Joy. An Australian journalist now based in New York City, she’s written about architecture, art, and design for publications like Architectural Digest and Dwell. This background informs the novel’s detailed depictions of bustling city life and Rowan’s reflections on the importance of cherishing art for its inherent value rather than its price tag. Brammer turned to fiction as a way to explore her own lifelong anxieties about death, which were exacerbated because “nobody ever really discussed it and it felt like such a taboo topic in Western society” (“How Her Anxieties Inspired Mikki Brammer to Write Her Debut Novel,” Penguin, 14 Feb. 2023). She was inspired to write her bestselling debut novel, The Collected Regrets of Clover (2023), to challenge this taboo and invite readers to contemplate “death and grief in a way that was joyful and uplifting” (“Brammer”). The author prepared to craft the piece by reading books, attending seminars, and visiting “death cafés” focused on mortality. The novel introduced many readers to the concept of a “death doula,” a non-medical professional who provides emotional and practical support to individuals at the end of their lives. Clover helps dying clients process their regrets and find peace, a journey that forces her to confront her own unlived life. The novel was selected as a New York Times Best Book of Summer 2023, a Best Book of 2023 by NPR, and a Book of the Month pick for May 2023. Through her fiction, Brammer teaches readers that a conscious engagement with mortality can inspire a more authentic and fulfilling life.