There is one story and one story only
That will prove worth your telling,
Whether as learned bard or gifted child;
To it all lines or lesser gauds belong
That startle with their shining
Such common stories as they stray into
Robert Graves, first stanza of
‘To Juan at the Winter Solstice’
This is Iain, the Librarian here. I’ve just have three notes to pass on this time…
The Winter Solstice arrives tomorrow, so let’s start you off with our annual story about that sacred event, Jennifer Stevenson’s ‘Solstice’ about a small-time rocker — well, listen to it as told by the author to find out what happens to her on that night, or if you prefer to read it, you can do so here.See if she actually does it
One of our Winter Queens, the late Josepha Sherman, ponders in her Speech upon the meaning of Winter: ‘What is Winter? A time to fear? A time for darkness and death? No. Winter is merely part of the endless cycle of sleep and awakening, dying and rebirth. The trees know it: they don’t die each year.’
One of our longtime staff, Kathleen, has an online journal where she talks about her late sister Kage Baker, author of the acclaimed SF series The Company. Her latest entry which you can read here has her reminiscing about Kage during the Christmas season.
I’m making notes about my favorite Christmas or Solstice works for you to think about..
For me, one I read every year is Jane Yolen’s The Wild Hunt, which is illustrated by Fransico Moro. To tell two boys occupying the same house, but not the same house at the same time, with a cat, exactly the same cat, of course, and The Wild Hunt about to happen as the solstice comes upon the world. So what role the boys and that cat have in this? Read it and see.
Next up is a work by Charles de Lint, writer, and his late wife Marianne Harris, illustrator, The Crow Girls Christmas. Two immortal beings just wanna have fun and sugar, lots of sugar. What can possibly go wrong? Well I won’t say more.
The Polar Express. Now I’m sure you’ve heard of it who hasn’t? Well, I’m sure somebody hasn’t, so do mention it to them, will you? Chris Van Allsburg’s children’s tale which is illustrated and written by him is a treat for all ages, read it and be delighted.
A multitude of children have written letters to Father Christmas. If your father was J.R.R. Tolkien, you experienced just such an occurrence. Of course, most of our fathers are not Tolkien, but now we can experience the thrill of receiving Letters from Father Christmas. It’s a lovely book both in its text and illustrations consisting of the postcards that were written by him during the war. Here you can only the text, well performed by Derek Jacobi. .now that’s a treat for reading to your children on a cold winters night.
That’s all for me. I’m gonna go have some hot cocoa, cookies, and listen to the carols I can hear from here
This is Gary, the music editor. There are just a few holiday albums that are on my household’s playlist. The top choice is Waterson:Carthy’s Holy Heathens and the Old Green Man. First because it’s Waterson:Carthy of course, the weathered and perfectly matched voices of Norma Waterson and Martin Carthy with their daughter Eliza’s voice and fiddle, Martin’s guitar and the melodeon of Tim Van Eyken. The selections are old English folk songs, folk hymns and wassail songs with creative arrangements including some brass charts by Van Eyken. Just a lovely and bracing collection all ’round.
Next up, that classic of mid-century jazz, A Charlie Brown Christmas by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. With or without the animated special, this music perfectly captures the joy and insouciance (with a slight touch of the blues) of the holiday season during childhood.
Another one I pull out of the stacks and put on the turntable every year around this time is George Winston’s December. A classic of both new age and holiday music, this chilly, stark masterpiece has stood the test of time. Top track for me, “Some Children See Him,” a wintry fest of sustain and hinted dissonance.
Finally, We Sing Christmas by the San Francisco men’s vocal ensemble Chanticleer. Nothing like a little Renaissance music to add a little class to your holiday soundscape! And it’s a good sound to have in the background while you read Ada Palmer’s 2025 book Inventing the Renaissance, a dense but imminently readable volume of history (and historiography) on her specialty, Renaissance Italy, and how the period has been understood and misinterpreted through the ensuing ages.
So let’s leave you with some seasonally apt music. Or at least what I consider such which in this case would a steller performance by Loreena McKennitt of her “Dickens’ Dublin”. It’s from ‘A Loreena McKennitt Christmas’ on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic program from tWendy years ago this month.
