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About the Event
Spend an evening with Kate Bowler—bestselling author, Duke professor, and expert at telling the truth about being human—in conversation with bestselling author Jen Hatmaker. Together, they will discuss joy that doesn’t require us to pretend everything is fine. Expect laughter, honesty, and the rare relief of being told the truth: you can’t always be happy—but you can be joyful, anyway.
Level A (Light Blue), Level B (Green), and Box Tier (Blue) seats include a copy of Kate Bowler’s new book, JOYFUL, ANYWAY. Level C (Orange) seats do not include a copy of the book. Buxton Books will be onsite selling books.
Runtime: 60 minutes.
Please note all times are approximate and subject to change without notice.
About Joyful, Anyway
New York Times bestselling author and Duke University professor Kate Bowler offers a profound, funny, and deeply human case for joy that doesn’t depend on everything getting better.
Joyful, Anyway is colorful and layered, unafraid of the occasional gut-punch of raw feeling and vulnerability—much like Kate Bowler herself. She suffers no fools, especially the toxic optimists.
Jerry Seinfeld
A book to take you through life’s aftermaths.
Katherine May, New York Times bestselling author of Wintering
You can’t always be happy, but you can be joyful, anyway.
We live in a culture convinced that chasing happiness will optimize our bodies, our minds, our relationships, our lives. But in the meantime, bad news usually stays bad: illness, chronic pain, grief, and disappointment don’t obey our timelines or vision boards. We are left wondering why, if we’re doing everything right, life still feels so hard.
Honest and bracingly tender, Joyful, Anyway proves that experiencing joy does not depend on resolving everything that makes life difficult. Drawing on a decade of living with serious illness and a lifetime studying America’s obsession with progress, Kate Bowler shows why people so busy chasing happiness miss out on actual joy.
Joy isn’t something you can optimize or manufacture—it finds us at the edge of expectation, when life interrupts our scripts. Joyful, Anyway gives language for the ache we all carry and practices for “putting yourself in the way of joy”: loosening control, introducing novelty, choosing charity, and staying open to the surprising, technicolor moments that pull us back into life.
Joy reminds us that no matter what, life is still worth loving. For every time we ask is this it?, joy will answer: There is more.
About Dr. Kate Bowler
Kate Bowler is the four-time New York Times bestselling author of Everything Happens for a Reason; No Cure for Being Human; Good Enough; The Lives We Actually Have; Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day; Blessed; and The Preacher’s Wife. She hosts the popular podcast Everything Happens and writes the Substack of the same name. A Duke University professor, she earned a master’s of religion from Yale Divinity School and a PhD at Duke University.
About Jen Hatmaker
Jen Hatmaker is a bestselling author, award-winning podcaster, speaker, and fierce advocate for women living in freedom and agency. With 15 books—including five New York Times bestsellers—along with her beloved For the Love podcast, Jen Hatmaker Book Club, and more, she reaches millions with her signature mix of humor, vulnerability, and wisdom. Her latest book, AWAKE: A Memoir, chronicles her raw, real-time journey through the shocking end of her 26-year marriage and surprising reinvention. She lives in a creaky old farmhouse, loves 90s country, and drinks Almond Joy creamer like it’s a personality trait.
About Buxton Books
Buxton Books, opened in 2016, is an independent bookstore located on King Street in downtown Charleston, SC. With a knowledgeable staff, highly curated book selection, and robust event schedule, we value and uphold the traditions of a neighborhood bookstore while also welcoming the visiting reading community. We specialize in multi-day author weekends with events ranging from bespoke walking tours to culinary events, and are proud to partner with incredible venues throughout Charleston, including the Gaillard Center.
Please note that for this performance online purchases have a limit of eight (8) tickets per customer. To purchase additional tickets or to inquire about group sales, please contact the ticket office directly at (843) 242-3099.