The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

The Upper Midwest's third-largest compendium of the outer spatters of the emotional palette. Our mission is to harpoon, bag and tag wild sorrows, then release them back into the subconscious.

Each definition is written by John Koenig, and is intended to be read at night. Give feedback, tell us about your day or suggest a new word at obscuresorrows@gmail.com. By including your name and hometown you are granting us the right to like you, to reply, and to forever enshrine your name in the tags.
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JOHN KOENIG is a freelance creative serf based in St. Paul, Minnesota where he attended Macalester College in the early part of the century. He enjoys piano jazz, deep image poetry, sauvignon blanc, canyons and nostalgia.

"BRILLIANT" -New York Magazine

Copyright © 2012 John Koenig.
The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

backmasking

n. the instinctive tendency to see someone as you knew them in their youth, a burned-in image of grass-stained knees, graffitied backpacks or handfuls of birthday cake superimposed on an adult with a degree, an illusion formed when someone opens the door to your emotional darkroom while the memory is still developing.

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    concept is: You could be 50 years old, gone places and done things, and just been awarded the Nobel Prize
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    My sister is only two years younger than me, but perpetually remains 9 and bratty and full
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