Everyone's Asking

There are so many places which give and give, constantly enriching our daily lives, which might get lost in the holiday bustle! When everyone's "asking," how do you decide where to give?

TLDR; Book recommendations, ways your dollar can help make the world a kinder place, and December Jumpstart last call!

I know this week launches the already underway holiday pressure to buy buy buy. Even “Giving Tuesday” feels full of pressure to me. So many people have their hand out, and while most Poet Camp activities are sliding scale, I know that budgets are tight, and I try to offer some free and reduced seats at every event.

Because “‘tis the damn season,” I’ve tried to keep my lists of recommendations pretty low key during these times. Even years ago, when I was a librarian, many parents and teachers would come to me and ask me to make holiday lists of recommendations. Uneasily, I would give them a couple of suggestions based on knowing their family, or books like the ones already generally popular in a specific grade, but I rarely complied with a full list, since every kiddo’s reading tastes, interests and reading level were different from the next. After all, public librarians also probably had lists, ALA had lists, our state library association had lists… I thought they were pretty well covered.

Covered, that is, until this year, when they came under assault like so many good and free things which benefit everyone. The American Library Association’s website posted this coverage along with a heartening update. “On March 14, President Trump issued Executive Order 14238, which directed the elimination of the agency. Subsequently, the Trump administration began mass termination of the agency’s grants, dismissed all members of the IMLS board, halted crucial data collection and research, and intended to lay off nearly all of the agency’s staff. These actions left IMLS unable to fulfill its duties required by federal law and interrupted library services across the country.”

They updated us this week with some very heartening news! “Today’s court ruling found that those actions were arbitrary and capricious and contrary to federal law that established IMLS and directed it to carry out programs, including funding for libraries and museums across the nation. The ruling nullifies the Administration’s actions to dismantle IMLS and permanently prohibits the Administration from taking such actions in the future. The ruling has immediate nationwide effect.”

While this is a huge relief, I know that the fight isn’t over to protect institutions that make a difference in our daily lives. I think where you spend your money (or don’t spend, in the case of boycotts!) can also be an act of resistance. In celebration, here’s a little list of gift suggestions including some nonprofit ideas, and some suggestions for digital things. I’ve also included some books, in case you’re supporting your favorite local bookstore in person, or by using Bookshop.org this year.

Some local recommendations: Think of your local Friends of the Library group. You might also want to reach out to a local school and ask to make an anonymous book donation to a family they identify as one in need. Buy two copies of something, one for a friend, and one for a stranger, left in a free community book share.

More reading and writing nonprofits: Reading is Fundamental, Girls Write Now, and Therapy Dogs International. *This incredible charity brings dogs into hospitals, schools, libraries, assisted living facilities, and even funeral homes to help people through difficult times, reinforce reading skills by creating positive and nonjudgemental experiences around reading aloud. These dogs generally just improve people’s quality of life.

On a national and global scale:

The Trevor Project (supporting and advocating for LGBTQ+ youth), Citizens’ Climate Education, National Forest Foundation, Rock the Vote (2026 midterms are around the corner!)

A few general book recommendations: *Rather than list titles here, I’ve listed a couple of buying tips.

*Do you have a poet friend who’s written a book? You might want to buy their book and ask that they send it, signed, to someone else! Double the kindness!

Look for presses with bundles — Sundress Poetry Subscriptions include 7 books, a letterpress broadside, plus free entries into their open reading periods, contests and residency applications, PLUS you’ll be directly supporting this amazing and inclusive press. Button Poetry offers bundle deals. Black Lawrence Press also offers curated monthly poetry bundles, hand picking a current poetry title from their lineup, a chapbook, a backlist title and a bonus gift each month.

A few specific book recommendations *Which you might also find at your public library or at a local used bookstore!

Uprooted by Naomi Novik - A wild and masterful intertwining of fairy tale elements from many traditions, this spellbinding work is so immersive. I didn’t want this book to end! Perfect read with endless cups of tea and chilly evenings.

Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diane Wynne Jones - Every year, the tourism business brings organized “Pilgrim Parties” from the real world into to encounter a variety of fantasy characters and magical problems common to this genre, culminating in an epic battle against a different designated “evil wizard.” Crops are ruined, people are injured, and there are no end of inconveniences and expenses never reimbursed. This year’s chosen is a bumbling pacifist, who mainly wants to live the quiet life with his family. When he’s injured trying to go along with the plan to rid the world of this annoying invasion, his family has to step up. This book is so hilarious and delightful. *This author also wrote Howl’s Moving Castle (one of my favorites).

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Apocolypse by Joshua Priven and David Bergeneicht - While this book could definitely use an update to include DOGE dudebro takeovers, lawbreaking maniacs loose in the White House, and billionaires gone wild, I LOVE this book, and find it delightful to think that if these seeming ends to our world in awful scenarios can be neutralized, then so can this out-of-control regime.

We Are Not Where We Are by Matt Donovan & Jenny George - This erasure of Thoreau’s Walden interweaves his remnants of the pond’s natural world and modern questions/paradoxes inside …

“the ocean of intelligences

I the driftwood, the sky looking down

a certain doubleness

I love to be alone

We are never alone.”

(It also made me want to reread Walden! I found this lushly illustrated version at Youngstown Lit on Nature + Nurture Bookshop’s table, and snapped it up!) *N+N is a great shop and worth supporting, if you order directly from them, or are looking for someone to support with your Bookshop order!

On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to be Good by Elise Loehnen - This is a book many people might find helpful in reframing self talk. I designed the entire course around it for You Do Not Have to Be Good: writing inspired by the 7 Deadly Sins. I highly recommend it!

All We Can Save: Truth, Courage and Solutions for the Climate Crisis edited by Katharine K. Wilkinson and Ayana Elizabeth Johnson - An anthology of moving and empowering essays, poems and artwork. I used this one as the inspiration and “spine” for Poet As Scientist 2! *All royalties from this book’s sales go to The All We Can Save Project! More bang for your giving buck!

Books by Poets featured at Poet Camp this year:

Nicelle Davis, Rick Barot, Sandra Beasley

*You might also want to consider a subscription to Orion Magazine, supporting the Slowdown Podcast, or donating to 5Calls.org, my personal favorites!

And last but not least, I hope you’ll also consider signing up for something at Poet Camp, and maybe buying a seat for a friend. This is the last call for the December Jumpstarts, which begin Monday, December 1! The Boxing Day Cozy Writing Retreat will happen as usual on December 26. *Either use the donation link, or sign up for a specific event with a note that this is a gift, and I’ll send them a customized “card.”

Ending on a give, instead of an ask! Please reach out if you could use some support in the form of Jumpstarts, the Cozy Writing Retreat, our Book Club, but the price presents a barrier. I’d love to have you, and would be happy to waive the fee. My email is sarah at poetcamp dot com. <3

Grateful to be part of your community!

Sarah