Gold foil illustration of stars

About the Author

John Koenig created The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows in 2009. What started as a blog grew into a YouTube series and, in 2021, a book. He's a writer and designer whose work spans graphic design, creative writing, and voice acting. Born in Idaho and raised in Geneva, Switzerland, he now lives in Minneapolis with his wife and daughter.

"It’s undeniably thrilling to find words for our strangest feelings…Koenig casts light into lonely corners of human experience…An enchanting book."

—The Washington Post

Tarrion

Cover image for the Tarrion word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Adomania

a person riding a horse

Ecury

a close-up of cave drawings and symbols

Aulasy

a blurry image of a house on the road

Appriesse

a blurry image of a person looking at mounted images

Anti-Aliasing

Cover image for the Anti-Aliasing word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

A book that poetically defines emotions that we all feel but haven't had the words to express—until now.

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