The Hope Library - What's Your Story?

Link your essay here by Feb 27. Return, read, and reply in 5 words by March 1.

Mar 2 UPDATE - This edition of the Hope Library was delightful in real time. To receive your own readable summary on March 7 or to receive notice when the library opens for contributions again, simply subscribe below.

Feb 24, 2025 — Welcome to the Hope Library! The front door stands open for your words about a book that once gave you hope.

We’re answering the question: When did a book* give you hope?

*Go ahead and stretch the meaning of “book” as needed. Poems, stories, speeches, rock carvings … sure. Imagination is welcome here.

Drop off your essay and linger as long as you like to read. (Credit: Ciprian Boiciuc on Unsplash)

Happy birthday! We’re swapping stories of bookish hope

This newsletter is celebrating two years, three names, 114 articles, and six community writing events (now seven) since its debut on this day in 2023. As usual around here, a celebration means open doors and a part for you.

In honor of the extravagant new name that inspires me to the writing table these days, ✨ The Hallelujah Book & Hope Letter ✨, we’re gathering essays here about books that have given us hope — or whatever comes to mind when the prompt says “book.” We’re here to celebrate joys, great and small, and the stories, storytellers, and artists who help us through the hard patches. I’ll say “book and hope.” You answer with whatever those words stir up in your heart.

If you are new here, or if it’s been awhile, I hope you will feel right at home in no time. May I take your coat? Head down the spiral stairs to read and mingle. When you’re ready for details about how to participate, come back up here. The Guide to Optimal Fun should answer your questions.

Happy Stackiversary to the Book & Hope Letter with the Hallelujah spirit! I’m delighted that you are here.

Guide to Optimal Fun

If it were me, I’d go past the instructions and down to the party, but take things in any order you please.

A. WRITERS: To share the story of a book that gave you hope, WRITE-POST-READ-REPLY. (Scroll to “B” if you want to read but not write.)

1. WRITE an essay about a particular book, poem, story, etc. that once gave you hope in a difficult time. Publish it on your Substack by Thursday, Feb 27.

   1. Length is up to you. 500-1200 words is a nice rule of thumb.

   2. You need to have a Substack publication in order to post. That’s what you will link below. It’s free and easy to start. See the button above the comments.

   3. TAG me (@TaraPenry) and link back to this page somewhere in your post. If this is more than you know how to do on Substack, don’t sweat it.

2. POST a link to your essay in the Comments section below.

   1. Start a new comment. Don’t make your link a reply to someone else.

   2. In your comment, provide as much as you like of:

      1. SUBJECT of your essay before hope (e.g., DEATH, COVID, MOVING, LOST LOVE, DOWNED TREE, PRESIDENTS) //

      2. Name of Book or Author or other Source giving you hope in your essay (e.g., Wallace Stegner, ‘Wilderness Letter’).

      3. Optional: Anything else readers should know about the essay or you, briefly.

      4. Link to your essay published on your Substack home page.

      5. Make sure your essay is not behind a paywall. When editing your post, check the Settings button in the bottom right corner of the post. Choose “Everyone” for audience. Recommended: Allow “everyone” to comment. Save those settings.

   3. If you want to link more than one essay, repeat 2a&b with a separate comment.

B. WRITERS & READERS - READ-REPLY

1. READ the posts of at least two others from their links below.

   1. Tip: Save this post in the Substack app by clicking the 3-dot icon at the top or bottom of the post and choosing SAVE or use the SHARE button at the top or bottom to email or text this post to yourself for easy access all week.

   2. Come back as often as you like. Browse the comments and read freely.

   3. If you notice that some posts below have multiple 5-word replies and others have none, try to choose unanswered posts so everyone gets at least one reply.

   4. Hit the Like button and leave a comment if you wish at the author’s Substack when you’re reading.

2. REPLY by March 1 with FIVE WORDS about those other posts.

   1. After reading at the author’s Substack, come back to comments below and post 5 words letting the author know what stuck with you about their post (Example: Flying squirrel, torn page, laughter). The reason to come here is so that other readers and I can also enjoy your 5 words, as well as the author.

   2. If you can find their original post below, post your 5 words as a reply to them. (This is preferred but may be impracticable by March 1.)

   3. If you cannot find the original post below, don’t sweat it; start a new comment below with the name of the person/article you read and your 5 word reply.

C. EVERYONE - TO SPREAD THE WORD, bring more readers to these posts, and receive the final post for this event (always something customized and fun):

1. SHARE POST at any time to invite other readers or writers to come.

   1. Click the SHARE button at the top or bottom of the post and browse options.

   2. SHARE to Notes in the Substack app if you’re active there. SHARE to interested friends directly by email (with a headnote from you, please, so they know it’s not spam). SHARE to other social media. COPY the post url and share it anywhere. Thank you for amplifying the work of so many!

2. SUBSCRIBE. Make sure you are subscribed to The Hallelujah Book & Hope Letter to receive the “closing ceremony” post in March.

What’s the impetus for this community writing project?

For the first anniversary of my newsletter, I created a “Five-Word Reading Party.” It was such a joy to me and others who participated that I wanted to do something similar this year. I announced this event two weeks ago with a short example of a book that once gave me hope: We Like Kindergarten! For me, humor and hope are relatives. ;-)

Ready? Let’s go!

This first button will take you straight to the comments section, where writers can post a link. (You can also click the headline of this post in your email, which takes you to a browser page. There all you need to do is scroll down below the stairs to see the comments.)

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This way to comments once you are reading in the app or a browser page … 

FEB 27 UPDATE - Currently linked in the library below (4 pm Pacific/U.S.)

From the bottom of the comments/earliest to the top/most recent:

The Reflective Current

reads Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities.

j.e. moyer, LPC

reads William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.

Jill Swenson

reads James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw’s The Seven Generations and the Seven Grandfather Teachings.

Sal Randolph

reads Solvej Balle, On the Calculation of Volume, Books I and II (Volume I was just longlisted for the Booker Prize).

Priscilla Stuckey

reads Adrian Tchaikovsky, Children of Time.

Julie Gabrielli

reads Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Peter C. Meilaender

reads Leo Tolstoy, “The Death of Ivan Ilyich.” (Yes, keen-eyed ones, there are various English spellings of Ilyich/Ilych.)

<Mary L. Tabor>

reads Robert Hass, Human Wishes.

Rona Maynard

reads Abraham Lincoln, “Gettysburg Address.”

Donna McArthur

reads Tosha Silver, Outrageous Opening.

Ann Gauger

reads M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled.

Tina B

reads James Norbury, The Journey.

Tracie Sweeney

reads Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Serviceberry.

Rebecca Barry

reads (and writes back to) Hafiz, The Gift.

Amy Hoppock

watches BBC’s Call the Midwife (when cancer zaps her joy in reading).

Priya Iyer

reads Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

Added Feb 27:

In pursuit of the past

(Nikki) reads Nathan Stolzfus, Resistance of the Heart: Intermarriage and the Rosenstrasse Protest in Nazi Germany.

Zina Gomez-Liss

recites William Shakespeare, Sonnet 29 (When in disgrace) in a video post.

Tracie Sweeney

reads Ben Montgomery, Grandma Gatewood’s Walk (and suggests casting Kathy Bates in the movie version - I’ll watch that).

Tracie Sweeney

links Stan Roger, “The Mary Ellen Carter” (a song on Spotify).

Good Humor by CK Steefel

reads Judy Blume, Deenie.

Robin Taylor (he/him)

reads Alana S Portero, Bad Habit.

Do I Like Free Will?

(S.) reads George MacDonald, At the Back of the North Wind

& the Acts of the Apostles.

Jen B. Wang

listens to a meditation by Tara Brach, “Calling on your future self.”

Happy reading! Please feel right at home adding your own link, chatting with other party guests, and sharing your five-word responses below. —>

Oh yes, also, if you hit the HEART button below and SHARE/RESTACK this with others, it helps newcomers find this post. Thank you!