A Letter to Our Editor; An Ode to Joy

Passport Magazine has always been a place for dreamers. For those looking for their next adventure, their next horizon, their next story. And Joy Pecknold, the magazine’s editor who has been with Kiwi Collection for over 13 years, was one of those dreamers.

On August 10, 2024, we faced the unimaginable when Joy was the victim of a tragic car accident. We are overwhelmed with grief, disbelief and heartbreak. She was more than just our colleague and Passport editor—she was a dear friend.

Since 2011, Joy embodied the very best of Passport Magazine, infusing it with her boundless spirit and creativity. As the heart and soul of our publication, she brought stories to life with an effortlessness that often left us in awe. Her writing had a magical quality, whisking readers away to faraway places with her vivid portrayals of the world’s most enchanting escapes. Whether crafting her own poignant articles or shaping the submissions of others into something extraordinary, her work was always distinctive, always exceptional and always unmistakably hers.

Passion and empathy, plans and puns—Joy had them all. Her cleverness always had a twist, often surprising us with her unexpected wit. She was the very definition of duality—gracefully balancing her wordplay and deep love of pop culture with a profound depth that was strikingly beautiful and thoughtful. We’d call her one-liners and punchy puns “Joyisms.”

During Passport brainstorm sessions, Joy would glide in with an unmistakable presence; her confidence commanded attention. After reviewing nearly 700 published Passport stories, her familiar, playful response to covered ideas—“We’ve already written that”—would be followed by her infectious laugh, one that none of us will ever forget. When it was her turn to pitch, the room would shift; our team would lean in, drawn to her palpable ideas and magnetism. She always had her finger on the pulse, and we were consistently mesmerized by her vast and ever-encompassing knowledge of the subjects she held close to her heart.

She was the masterful voice behind some of Kiwi Collection’s most significant campaigns, including our annual Kiwi Awards and Hot List, plus our 20th Anniversary Series. Ever in search of her next adventure, she traveled the world over, always returning with stories that she would beautifully share on Passport Magazine. Most recently, her adventures included a picturesque road trip through Portugal and a milestone birthday celebration in Paris, each tale a testament to her everlasting wanderlust.

Joy’s true superpower was putting pen to paper. Beyond her role as an editor and writer, collaborating with many notable brands and publications, she also wrote poetry. A collection of her poems has been made available by her beloved family, in a book titled Dispatches from the Life Aquatic.

As we grapple with this profound loss, we find comfort in knowing that Joy’s spirit and legacy will forever be woven into the fabric of Passport Magazine, guiding us as we continue to tell the stories she loved so much.

We will miss you deeply, Joy. We will forever look for signs of you in nature, where you found both inspiration and solace. How lucky we were to call you our editor, mentor, colleague and friend. As we continue on, we will sign off with your words, penned in January 2021:

No more human being
let me be a tree
evergreen breathing—photosynthesis the thesis—
rooted and reaching
sheathed in bark
swaying, wind in hair
whispering to friends
putting on rings
getting taller
willingly wider
Unbothered by rain
or the feeling of pain
or the passing of time so precisely
—Joy Pecknold, “Let Me Be A Tree“

Photos delicately taken from Joy’s Instagram @joypecknold | Cover photo by Kara Pecknold