Gobo

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

Gobo

n.
the delirium of having spent all day in an aesthetic frame of mind— watching a beautiful movie, taking photos across the city, getting lost in an art museum—which infuses the world with an aura of meaning, until every crack in the wall becomes a commitment to naturalism, and every rainbow swirling in a puddle feels like a choice.

Short for go-between. In theatrical lighting, a gobo is a layer inserted into a lamp that shapes the pool of light that hits the stage. Pronounced “goh-boh.”

Angosis

a table full of food

Ludiosis

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

Pax Latrina

Cover image for the Pax Latrina word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Watashiato

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

Aftersome

rows of opaque and clear marbles

Aubadoir

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