The Golden Hour is a community of people who care about the future and the present.
It’s my newsletter about coping with the polycrisis— finding calm, hope and joy in the moment as we deal, and help our loved ones deal, with the very tough stuff happening in the world and expected in the future. It’s for people interested in climate justice, mental health, social movements, education, technology, media, youth and children.
This is a space for truthful, courageous conversation.
I left my career in traditional journalism to call things like I see them. I wanted to speak from the heart, not just the head.
I believe wholeheartedly that our lives can become more purposeful and more joyful, not despite all that’s happening, not by blocking it out, but because of it. We can strengthen our coping mechanisms, including by connecting to our sense of purpose. I’ve done it.
I also believe there will be more powerful collective action the more we overcome the forces of silence, denial and paralysis and remember what we love enough to fight for.
Why subscribe?
Here’s what readers say:
“I'm a new parent and I'm so very worried about the world my kid will grow up in. I'm also a white lady and always looking for people who successfully navigate complex social issues (like climate) in a useful way that centers others. I'm always trying to learn new ways to work with others, and its helpful and instructive to see the way you're working on this complex, multi-faceted issue.”
"Compelling tools and insights to raise thriving children in this sometimes scary, fast-changing world "
"I supported your work because I need guidance on how to do The Work. I do not want to be lost in despair or overcome by fury. Instead I want to turn grief and anger into action so that we all have a joyful future to look towards. Looking forward to continuing to read and DO. Thanks, Anya."
"I've looked to Anya Kamenetz's smart reporting and expertise for years. She effortlessly unpacks deeply complicated topics, presenting diverse viewpoints and optimistic solutions for how to deal, and how to help our children deal, with the very tough stuff happening in the world and expected in the future.
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and website. Every week I’ll send out a short essay. I will interview brilliant and empathetic people, cover surprising new research, and share my own experiences where I think they might be helpful.
About Anya
I am a journalist and author with a solid track record of being prescient about changes in technology, institutions, and society in general. I’ve been covering tech & climate change, social movements, mental health, education and parenting for almost two decades. I started at 25 with the book Generation Debt about young people’s economic struggles. I’ve published four more books, most recently The Stolen Year: How Covid Changed Children’s Lives, And Where We Go Now. I spent 8 years covering education for NPR, where I launched Life Kit: Parenting, a successful podcast series about difficult conversations, and got to co-star with Cookie Monster in a video, which was a career and life highlight.
I quit my job at NPR in 2022 to focus on the intersection of kids, well-being and climate—which I’ve now broadened to “coping with the polycrisis”. I now work with the Aspen Institute’s This Is Planet Ed initiative and the Climate Mental Health Network. I also produced the podcast We Are The Great Turning, with Jess Serrante and Joanna Macy.
I live in Brooklyn with my husband and two children and I’m extremely serious about having fun—joy is part of my spiritual practice. I go out dancing a few times a month, I make fun costumes for Burning Man and Mardi Gras. I also garden, cook, go jogging and other extremely normal mom stuff.
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To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.
