The Golden Hour is a community of people who care about the future and the present.

It’s a newsletter about living in 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. People interested in climate justice, mental health, social movements, education, and technology will like it even if they don’t have kids.

The Golden Hour has a bigger agenda than just you and your family. Children are a disadvantaged and disenfranchised group who deserve agency and voice. Generational justice is the lens of looking at challenges facing humanity from the perspective of the young and future generations. And, it turns out, a child-centric society is better for just about everyone. For one thing, it’s more fun!

This is a space for truthful, courageous conversation.

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 "

"It contains essential strategies, interviews and reflections on climate action, climate mental health, climate education, and parenting through crisis and conflict. "

"If you are in the climate education or organizing space, I highly recommend checking this resource out. Great articles, very empathetic and real stories and ideas."

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 and climate. 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 and make fun costumes for Burning Man and Mardi Gras. I also garden, cook, go jogging and other extremely normal mom stuff.

Join the crew

To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.