Tipping Toward Hope
How light finds its way back
Dear friends,
As we step into December, I’ve been thinking about the upcoming solstice and, as word lovers often do, I wanted to unpack the word itself. Solstice comes from the Latin sol (sun) and stitium (to stand still). On Sunday, December 21st at 4:03 a.m. Eastern Time, the sun will stop in its tracks at its lowest point in the sky, making the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. For thousands of years, humans have gathered, told stories, and sung poems to honor the returning of the light. And even though we gain only a minute or two of daylight at first, as the weeks move on — more and more light builds and accelerates.
As the Earth tips back toward the sun, I’ve been thinking about the ways we, too, slowly lean back toward hope. Not all at once, but in small increments. Over these past few months, I’ve noticed small shifts in myself. After my mom died a year and a half ago, I moved through my days with what felt like a low-grade fever of melancholy -- often invisible even to me. I showed up, I wrote, I taught, but everything felt a little muted. I’d laugh, but not with my whole self. I’d reach out to friends, but less often. And then slowly, like those few extra minutes of solstice light — the heaviness began to lift.
Sometimes it would happen suddenly like when I was reading a wonderful book, The Salt Stones: Seasons of a Shepherd’s Life by Helen Whybrow. (thank you, Jenna!);
other times it lifted just for a moment while hanging my words on the Poetry Tree at the Highlights Poetry Palooza in November, words I hoped the wind would carry into the world (I love you mom);
or laughing at an impromptu group poem — “fresh fish in the freezer” — and a round of hysterical limericks; or sitting beside new and old poet friends, listening to their brave words.
There were other small glimmers too. At NCTE in Denver, I reconnected with old friends, and a highlight was a dinner with Joyce Sidman, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, and Laura Purdie Salas where we shared new projects, stories, and far too many chips and salsa.
After a NCTE session that Lily Howard Scott, Ralph Fletcher, and I gave on the birder mindset, an idea Lily brought to us, several teachers came up afterward to say they planned to start noticing the world with a birder’s attention. Their joy felt like another small turning toward light. (And if you haven’t read Lily’s brilliant The Words That Shape Us, I highly recommend it).
In conversations with teachers and writers this fall, I’ve realized how many of us are carrying so much -- worry about the world, concerns for our students, our work, family illnesses, losses, and the private heartbreaks we rarely name or share aloud. No wonder our hearts feel a little tender.
But then I think of the solstice and how the light always returns. One extra minute of daylight. One honest conversation with a student about her poem. One sentence on the page that lands just right. The Earth tipping — slowly, steadily — back toward the light.
Teachers, writers, friends, I’m deeply grateful that you’re here in community with me. You help my world tip toward hope. For December, I’ve gathered 10 Heart Beats — books, poems, links, and inspirations — along with an Advent-style writing calendar to help us notice where the light returns, day by day.
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💗 10 Heart Beats Worth Sharing
1. Newgrange, Ireland winter solstice
Wonder has been on my mind lately as Jen McDonough and I continue to write the second edition of A Place for Wonder (Stenhouse). As I mentioned in November’s newsletter, we’re inspired by Dacher Keltner’s book, Awe, and how he describes the eight wonders of life. My first Heart Beat is a short video of a winter solstice sunrise at Newgrange, in County Meath, Ireland and I believe it fits at least three of Keltner’s wonders of life (wild awe, collective effervescence and epiphany). Newgrange is a 5,000-year-old tomb that was built by Neolithic people for one purpose: to receive a single beam of sunlight that travels down the stone passageway on the winter solstice for seventeen minutes — which is what it has been doing each year for thousands of years. Archeologists speculate that they designed Newgrange this way to celebrate renewal, hope, and the end of the cold, dark winter.
This video begins with an aerial view of Newgrange wrapped in fog, and when the sunlight finally streams down the passageway (starting at around 1:00), it’s breathtaking.
(FYI: If you want to make a trip to Ireland to see this marvel in-person, Newgrange has a simulation of the solstice light all year but if you want to witness it in real-time you can sign up for a lottery to visit the passageway brushed with solstice light next December 2026 Newgrange 2026 Winter Solstice Lottery).
2. The shortest day
One of my favorite books for this season is The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper and beautifully illustrated by Carson Ellis. Cooper’s poem reminds us that humans have always gathered around light — candles, fire, music — especially on the darkest day of the year. It’s a story of hope returning. I love reading this book aloud, then inviting students to write about a “small light” in their own lives: a person, a memory, a moment that helped guide them through a difficult time.
3. Step into the room of quiet
There is nothing quite like the hush that settles over the world after a snowfall. When Rebecca Kai Dotlich and I wrote Welcome to the Wonder House, we imagined twelve rooms of wonder, and one of them was the Room of Quiet. Why quiet? Because quiet is where we hear ourselves think, where we can hear our breath and feel our own heartbeat. When Rebecca and I were mulling over the poems to write for this room, we realized that there are many kinds of quiet and Rebecca’s poem focuses on the soft, deep muffled kind of quiet after snow.
Listen to Rebecca reading her poem from the Room of Quiet: the glaze of sky is just so, so beautiful. When you listen, maybe take a moment to think about your own favorite kind of quiet, and what it invites you to feel and notice.
4. Winter grace
And when you have a quiet moment to yourself read Patricia Fargnoli’s Winter Grace about the slowed down season and how truth often comes from solitude. It’s a poem I return to each winter. Let this poem be a planet or a haven…
5. The science and magic of snow
Laura Purdie Salas’s wonderful new picture book Flurry, Float, and Fly! The Story of a Snowstorm weaves poetry and science together to show how snowflakes are born. Her lyrical language, paired with Chiara Fedele’s luminous art, makes this a lovely read-aloud. The author’s note offers deeper science, making it a perfect book to inspire wonder in the classroom as kids learn about weather and the quiet magic of snow.
If you, or your students, want to wander even further into the world of snowflakes, explore the work of Dr. Ken Libbrecht, a physicist at Caltech and a world expert on snow crystals. (He was even the Snowflake Consultant for the movie Frozen, and his stunning photographs appear on postage stamps around the world.) His website is a treasure trove of information and images, including a Field Guide to Snowflakes
6. Light across traditions
December is filled with celebrations of light. Hanukkah’s eight candles glow brighter night by night, Christmas windows and trees shine against the dark, Kwanzaa’s kinara glows with seven guiding principles.
In the classroom, I like inviting students to choose one image of light from any tradition: a candle flame, a lit Yule tree, or a moment when someone brought light into their life — and write a small “hope note,” just a few lines about the light they carry or one they were given.
A beautiful picture book that brings many winter traditions of light together is We Celebrate the Light by Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple.
Here are a few of my favorite books for celebrating light.
Hanukkah
In a dark room,/ one thin candle/ wakes, bursts to life…I love these poems celebrating one very special Hanukkah. The Book of Candles: Eight Poems for Hanukkah by Laurel Snyder.
Christmas
A Poem for Every Day of Christmas, compiled by anthologist Allie Esiri, is a collection of thirty-one poems and carols, both traditional and contemporary, to light each day of the season with words and music.
Kwanzaa
Once Upon a Kwanzaa introduces young readers to the traditions of this seven-day celebration — lighting the kinara, sharing meals, and gathering with loved ones. A glossary and pronunciation guide make it a great resource for classrooms and homes.
7. Words to live by
I wrote this quote in my notebook recently. It’s a reminder I keep close — one that helps me return to wonder even on the hard days.
8. A decade of women’s voices
This December marks the 10th anniversary of my anthology The Woman in This Poem, a collection of poems by women whose voices continue to inspire me. As I revisited the book this month, I kept returning to Susan Cataldo’s Poem for the Family which feels especially right for this season of light and gathering. It’s a poem that has stayed with me for years.
Celebrating this anniversary feels like another small “tipping toward hope,” and revisiting all the poems in this anthology has brightened my winter season in joyful ways. Plumleaf Press — the woman-owned publisher of this book — is also offering a special anniversary sale this month, if you’d like to explore the collection or share it with someone who might need a little light.
9. A solstice wonder walk
Step outside for a short “wonder walk” and notice one small, surprising thing the season offers you:
• the blue tint of trees’ winter shadows
• the hush after snow
• sunlight catching on a leaf, painting a branch, or weaving patterns on a windowpane
• the way the clouds swirl as day turns to dusk
• a bird, wind, or sound that feels like this time of year
Come back inside and write one small line — a tiny glimmer of wonder from your walk.
Here are a few things I noticed recently on a wonder walk:
the evening sky glowing a deep burnt orange
a hawk cutting across the blue sky
the sharp, almost pungent scent of cold air
10. A candlelight carol
For a little musical joy, listen to Yo-Yo Ma and bluegrass-country singer Alison Krauss (an incredible combination!) perform the ancient Wexford Carol — a twelfth-century Irish melody with a quiet, luminous beauty. Whether you celebrate Christmas or simply love beautiful music, this is one of the oldest carols in the European tradition, and it makes lovely background music for writing.
This Month’s Gifts for You:
A Month of Light: A Daily Advent of Writing Invitations
Tipping Toward Hope: Poems & Invitations for the Solstice and Returning Light
I’ve always loved Advent calendars with their tiny window openings — sometimes revealing a small drawing, sometimes a piece of chocolate. When my son was young, I bought one every December. These calendars held small daily surprises that helped us pause and notice the season.
In that same spirit, you can download A Month of Light: A Daily Advent of Writing Invitations here — simple daily moments to help you slow down and notice the light around you.
I’ve also gathered a small collection of poems and prompts that speak to this month’s theme, Tipping Toward Hope: Poems & Invitations for the Solstice and Returning Light.
Download it here.
Thank you for being part of this generous community -- for reading, writing, and noticing alongside me each month.
The Poet’s Studio
Two New Workshops (so far!) in 2026 at The Poet’s Studio
As we move toward the close of the year, I’m feeling especially grateful for the creativity and connection that fill The Poet’s Studio. Here’s what’s on the horizon:
😂 How to Write a Funny Poem with Chris Harris (Early Bird sale until 12/15)
Monday, January 12th from 7–8:30 PM (ET)
If you don’t yet know Chris Harris, you’re in for a treat (even his website makes me smile!). Both kids and adults love his New York Times best-selling poetry collections I’m Just No Good at Rhyming and My Head Has a Bellyache. Chris is also a writer and executive producer for How I Met Your Mother and for the new Frasier.
Writing a humorous poem is a craft — and Chris Harris is a master of it. In this hands-on, interactive workshop, Chris will guide us through the art (and mischief) of writing funny poems -- from wordplay to surprising rhymes.
Even if you don’t consider yourself a “funny poet,” children’s publishers are looking for a little levity in poetry collections these days. Learn how to add lightness and play to your poems through wordplay, puns, surprising twists, rhythm, rhyme and voice.
🎨 February Workshop: How to Make Your Own Poetry Comic: Color Your Emotions with Grant Snider (Early Bird sale)
Monday, February 2nd | 7–8:30 PM ET | on Zoom
Two takeaways from Grant’s Poetry Comic Workshop at The Poet’s Studio in October:
Thank you! What a delight to sketch and listen and learn. — Linda M
I’m so glad I was able to get in. It was FUN and not scary! LOL. Thanks. I’ll be there for Part 2!! — Lee W
Grant Snider, author of the best-selling Poetry Comics, is back at The Poet’s Studio for a new hands-on workshop and a fresh exploration of poetry comics. In this session, we’ll explore how poetry and art can help us express and honor what we feel. Together, we’ll turn our emotions into art -- discovering what our feelings might look like as poetry and as comics. Bring your pen, paper, and colored pencils — this workshop is interactive! No art or poetry experience necessary.
What a treat to witness Grant’s creative process up close during his Poetry Comics Workshop at The Poet’s Studio In October -- a night filled with inspiration as well as artistic and poetic fun.
Grant has a special camera where we can watch him create in real time as he teaches us and we draw alongside him. Here is a short clip of Grant showing us how to make a poetry comic using our senses. Such a great exercise for writers and students.
Save the Date — Quoddy Writing Retreat July 2026!
Join Ralph Fletcher and me for our Summer Writing Retreat in beautiful Lubec, Maine. July 26 - July 31. Registration is now open and we only have a few spots left!
Save the Date — Poetry Palooza: A Workshop for Poetry Lovers
November 5 - 8, 2026 at The Highlights Foundation
Poetry Palooza returns November 5–8, 2026! Come write, connect, and celebrate the power of poetry at Highlights.
One Last Heartbeat
Before we go, thank you for the many ways you bring poetry, attention, and care into the world. I write this newsletter once a month — for now — and each month I offer a new theme. Since we’re tipping toward hope together this December, I’d love to know:
Where did you notice hope this month?
You can reply directly if you’d like to share — I always love hearing from you.
P.S.: Don’t forget -- subscribers have full access to my Heart Beats Library of Resources, filled with freebies, tools, poems, and more. Subscribe for all access.
Please keep this just for subscribers like you – thank you!
Love all of the wonderful book suggestions. Such an inspiring post.
So much goodness and inspirations here, Georgia! Thank you for everything, especially the advent writing calendar and the poems and invitations. Your generosity and kindnessy is the gift that has brightened this gray day!