Joy Riggs is an award-winning writer and editor based in Northfield, Minnesota, a quaint and historic two-college town located 50 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul. She specializes in writing about history, parenting, and travel.
Joy is the author of Crackerjack Bands and Hometown Boosters: The Story of a Minnesota Music Man, published in July 2019 by Nodin Press. The nonfiction book is about her quest to uncover the extraordinary exploits of her paternal great-grandfather, G. Oliver Riggs, a pioneering Minnesota music man. She blogs about the book project and her family’s adventures in making and appreciating music at mymusicalfamily.blogspot.com.
Her articles, columns and essays have appeared in numerous publications, including the Star Tribune, Minnesota Parent, Minnesota Monthly, Minnesota Good Age, StoryNews, BLUNTmoms, Grown and Flown, Topology Magazine, Peacock Journal, Mamalode, Great Moments in Parenting, AAA Living, the Carleton College Voice, and the Des Moines Register.
Joy is fascinated by Minnesota history, and, as a native of Alexandria, Minn., she truly wants to believe in the authenticity of the Kensington Runestone.
Education
Joy graduated magna cum laude and with college honors from Drake University in Des Moines. She has a bachelor's degree in news-editorial journalism, with a political science concentration.
Awards
• Recipient of emerging artist grant, Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council, spring 2015 • First place, Best Magazine Column, 2013 Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists Page One Awards • Second place, Family Matters Column, Parenting Media Association’s 2011 Editorial Competition • Silver award, Best Magazine Column, Minnesota Magazine & Publishing Association’s Excellence Awards, 2013 • Second place, Best Magazine Column, 2010 Minnesota SPJ Page One Awards • Bronze award, Best Magazine Column, Minnesota Magazine & Publishing Association’s Excellence Awards, 2011 and 2010 • Third place, Best Magazine Column, 2014 Minnesota SPJ Page One Awards
Podcast/Radio Interviews
• The Wayne Eddy Affair, KYMN, Joy Riggs, Aug. 16, 2019
• ArtZany! Radio with Paula Granquist, KYMN, Northfield Garden Club Tour & Author Joy Riggs, July 11, 2019
• ArtZany! Radio with Paula Granquist, KYMN, Writers Joy Riggs and Rob Hardy, January 20, 2017
• Deep in Bear Country; a Berenstain Bearcast, Episode 57: the Week at Grandma’s, July 2, 2016
• This Northfield Life with Brad Ness and Corey Butler, Joy Riggs interview, October 14, 2015
Copy Editing and Writing Services
• Past and present clients include: • SERC, The Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College • the Northfield Historical Society • the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative • the Carleton College Voice • the Vintage Band Festival • NorthfieldHistorical; and the Northfield Youth Choirs
Professional memberships
• Society of Professional Journalists • the Minnesota SPJ Pro Chapter • the Association of Writers and Writing Programs • the Loft Literary Center
Volunteer work
• Joy serves on the board of the Vintage Band Festival, a nonprofit group that organizes a four-day international vintage music festival in Northfield every three years. The next one is set for August 1-4, 2019.
• Joy serves on the board of the Northfield Historical Society.
• Joy is the past president of the Northfield Fine Arts Boosters, a nonprofit volunteer group that works to promote and support fine arts programs in the Northfield Public Schools. She served on the Northfield Youth Choirs board from 2008-2014 and on the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative board from 2003-2013.