* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:05] HI EVERYONE. MY NAME IS DEBBIE QUINN. I'M THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR AND I AM DELIGHTED TO WELCOME YOU TO ED YOUNG DAY. WOO, THE LIBRARY'S HONOR AND PLEASURE TO BE CELEBRATING THIS VERY GIFTED MAN AND BEAUTIFUL PERSON WHOSE SPIRIT JUST IS FILLING THIS LIBRARY TODAY. AND SO WELCOME. WE HAVE A LOT OF CELEBRATIONS HERE. WE HAVE A COMMUNITY COLLAGE IN THE BACK. WE HAVE A THAI TEA SHEET DEMONSTRATION COMING A FEW HOURS FROM NOW. UM, WE HAVE PEOPLE READING SOME OF ED'S MANY BOOKS, AND OH, WE HAVE A STORY WALK OUTSIDE ONE OF ED'S BOOKS. IT'S BOOKS ARE FOR SALE, TREASURE. WE HAVE A SCAVENGER HUNT AND ARE BOOKS, SALE FOR SALE, POSTERS, VIDEOS OF GRAPHS, VIDEOS. ALL RIGHT, EVERYBODY ANYWAY, A LOT. UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME VERY DEAR FRIENDS OF ED'S CAROL AND SPIKE BARKIN, WHO ARE GONNA SAY A FEW WORDS. HI EVERYONE. IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE HERE. AND, UM, SO WE, UM, WE, WE KNEW ED FOR A REALLY LONG TIME AND WORKED GREAT FRIENDS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS TODAY ABOUT HIS BOOKS AND HIS WORK. SORRY. SO WE'RE IN A LIBRARY FULL OF BOOKS. UM, AND SO IN THE 1980S, I WAS WORKING PART-TIME FOR SIMON CHU AS A CHILDREN'S BOOK EDITOR. A LITTLE BIT LOUDER. AND MY BOSS SAID, I, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, ED YOUNG, COULD YOU GET HIM TO DO A BOOK FOR US? BECAUSE AT THAT TIME, EVERYBODY, HE WAS SO WELL KNOWN AND EVERYONE WANTED, ALL PUBLISHERS WANTED TO HAVE HIS BOOK DONE. I SAID, WELL, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'LL TRY. AND I SAID TO, I ASKED ED AND HE SAID, WELL, THERE'S A BOOK I'VE BEEN WANTING TO DO FOR A WHILE, SO YEAH, SURE, I'M HAPPY TO DO IT. AND THE BOOK WAS THE HAPPY PRINCE. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BOOK. AND, UM, SO WORKING WITH HIM WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. I HAD NEVER REALLY WORKED CLOSELY WITH AN ILLUSTRATOR OF A BOOK THAT I WAS EDITING. OH, I'M SORRY. AND I JUST WATCHED WITH ALL, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL KNOW THAT HE USUALLY MADE A SMALL DUMMY THAT WAS SPREAD OUT ON A LONG TABLE IN HIS STUDIO. AND SO YOU COULD LOOK AT THE BOOK PAGE BY PAGE, AND HE WAS CONSTANTLY MAKING CHANGES AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT. IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE HOW HE WORKED. AND, UM, I, SORRY, I HAVE TO, I DON'T WANNA LEAVE OUT ANYTHING. I WAS SO IMPRESSED BY HIS ATTENTION TO EVERY SINGLE DETAIL AND HIS, THE WAY HE USED DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES TO LOOK AT THE SAME CHARACTERS AND SETTINGS AND SO ON. AND HIS INTERPRETATION OF OSCAR WILDE, WHICH WE DON'T USUALLY THINK OF AS A CHILDREN'S BOOK WRITER, BUT, AND HIS INCREDIBLY THOUGHTFUL AND PATIENT ANSWERS TO MY STUPID QUESTIONS. UM, I LEARNED SO MUCH FROM HIM, AND I REALIZED HOW LITTLE I KNEW ABOUT HOW AN AMAZING ILLUSTRATOR APPROACHES A STORY AND WORKS WITH THE STORY. AND ANOTHER THING THAT HAPPENED WAS THAT ED KNEW I WASN'T TOTALLY HAPPY WITH THE SORT OF RELIGIOUS ASPECT OF THIS BOOK. AND HE SAID THAT FOR HIM, THE RELIGIOUS PART WAS JUST REALLY A FRAME. AND WHAT MATTERED WAS THE THEME OF THE STORY, WHICH IS ABOUT LOVE AND SELFLESS COMPASSION. AND OF COURSE, HE WAS RIGHT. UM, SO IT WAS ABSOLUTELY ONE OF MY BEST EXPERIENCES EVER IN THE PUBLISHING WORLD. AND THANK YOU, ED, AND IT'S A GORGEOUS BOOK. SO THANKS. AND I'M GONNA, THIS IS MY HUSBAND SPIKE BARKIN, AND HE, HE IS GOING TELL, TELL SOME FUNNIER STORIES ABOUT . SO WE, WE KNEW ED FOR OVER 45 YEARS. HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE WE MET WHEN WE MOVED TO HASTINGS. AND WE QUICKLY BONDED OVER COWBOY MOVIES. , THAT'S THE SHIRT. SO I HAVE A HUGE COLLECTION OF DVDS, OF COWBOY FILMS. IN HIS FAVORITE COWBOY WAS RANDOLPH SCOTT. OH. SO RAND, HE WOULD COME OVER TO THE HOUSE AND WE'D WATCH RANDOLPH SCOTT MOVIE. WE'RE WATCHING A FILM AND THERE'S A SCENE INSIDE A CHINESE RESTAURANT, AND HE STARTS TO LAUGH. AND I'M, I'M LOOKING AT, I SAID, WHAT'S SO FUNNY, ED? I SAID, YOU SEE THAT SIGN CHINESE? I SAID, YEAH, IT'S UPSIDE DOWN . SO ED'S SENSE OF HUMOR WAS [00:05:01] FABULOUS. AND, UM, HE INVITED ME. I WAS IN MILWAUKEE TO WORKING ON AN EVENT. HE WAS GETTING THE CALICO AWARD IN CHICAGO. AND HE HAD, HE TOLD ME ABOUT IT AND I SAID, OH MAN, I'M, I'M COMING. SO I WENT TO OFFICE INC. AND HAD A T-SHIRT MADE UP, ESPECIALLY FOR ED, TO PRESENT TO HIM AT THIS CALICO AWARD, WHICH IS THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS AWARD FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS. SO I GET TO THE EVENT, HE IS TALKING TO THE WOMAN WHO RUNS THE WHOLE EVENT. HE INTRODUCES ME AND I HAND HIM THIS BEAUTIFULLY WRAPPED T-SHIRT. SO HE OPENS IT UP, HE LOOKS AT IT AND HE STARTS TO LAUGH. AND THE T-SHIRT SAYS, CONGRATULATIONS, ED YOUNG ON WINNER OF THE RANDOLPH SCOTT, THE , THE WOMAN, THE WOMAN SAYS, NO, NO, IT'S RANDOLPH CALDECOTT . SO I WAS ASKED TO DO A CURATE, AN ART SHOW FOR TOPS, BUBBLEGUM CARDS FOR THEIR BASEBALL CARDS. IT WAS THEIR 40TH ANNIVERSARY. AND I ASKED LEGITIMATE ARTISTS TO MAKE THEIR VERSION OF A BASEBALL CARD. SO IF YOU KNEW ED, YOU KNEW THAT HE WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN THE ENVIRONMENT. AND HE, BUT HE AGREED TO DO A BASEBALL CARD. SO, GREAT. THIS WAS IN, IN EARLY IN THE SUMMER, AND THE EVENT WAS IN DECEMBER. SO JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER. AND IF YOU KNEW ED, YOU DON'T PUSH ED. IF ED SAYS HE'S GOING TO DO SOMETHING, HE WILL DO IT, BUT YOU DON'T PUSH HIM. NOW WE'RE INTO NOVEMBER. AND I SAID, UHUH ED, UM, REMEMBER THE BASEBALL CARD YOU WERE GONNA MAKE FOR THE EXHIBIT IN DECEMBER? HE SAID, YOU'LL HAVE IT. OKAY. SO, SO WE MEET AND HE GIVES ME THE BASEBALL CARD. HE DID. AND THIS WAS THE BASEBALL CARD, , I DUNNO IF YOU REMEMBER THE TREE THAT, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT PRO I SAID, OH, I SAID, THAT'S REALLY NICE, ED . SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT PROMPTED ME TO DO THIS, BUT I DID THIS. OH, OH, IT'S COMMENT THIS WAY, THIS WAY, THIS WAY. WELL, I SUPPOSE YOU COULD LOOK AT THAT . SO THAT WAS IT. I MEAN, HE WAS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING PEOPLE. UM, TOM, WOULD YOU READ THE PROCLAMATION, PLEASE? MAYOR'S FUTURE MAYOR. EVERYBODY, PLEASE. THERE'S NO ELECTIONEERING. THERE'S A POLLING STATION DOWNSTAIRS. EARLY VOTING, RIGHT, , I DON'T WANNA GET IN TROUBLE TODAY. WELL, I NOT ON THE BALLOT. I KNOW YOU'RE GOOD . SO IT'S MY HONOR TO BE HERE TODAY. UH, GROWING UP IN HASTINGS, I REMEMBER ED YOUNG AND I ACTUALLY WALKED DOWN VILLARD AVENUE, UH, INTENTIONALLY TO HOPEFULLY CHANNEL SOME OF, UH, ED AS I WAS WALKING BY HIS OLD HOUSE ON VILLARD. I KNOW THEY MOVED TO WHITMAN AT ONE POINT, BUT I REMEMBER ON VILLARD WHERE THEY LIVED. AND, UM, AND SO I'M HOPING TO CHANNEL FOR MY THREE 15 READING LATER OF, OF ONE OF THE BOOKS. UH, SO HOPEFULLY I, I DO IT CORRECTLY AND, AND I MAKE HIM PROUD. UM, NIKKI, UH, ARMCO COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY. SO SHE, UH, DRAFTED A PROCLAMATION, UH, WHEREAS ED YOUNG, BORN AND RAISED IN CHINA, CAME TO THE UNITED STATES AT AGE 20 AND STAYED TO BECOME AN AWARD-WINNING ILLUSTRATOR AND AUTHOR WITH MORE THAN 100 BOOKS TO HIS CREDIT. AND WHEREAS ED USED HIS CREATIVITY TO BRIDGE CULTURES BY TAPPING INTO HIS CHILDHOOD IN SHANGHAI AND OPENED OUR EYES TO LORE WISDOM AND IMAGERY OF THE EAST. AND WHEREAS ED WAS A BELOVED TAI CHI TEACHER WHO FOUNDED THE HASTINGS TAI CHI GROUP, WHICH CONTINUES TO PROMOTE THE PRACTICE OF PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING. AND WHEREAS ED'S IMMEASURABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY INCLUDED DONATED WORKS FOR FRIENDS, FUNDRAISERS, AND UNIQUE WORKSHOPS AND PRESENTATIONS. AND WHEREAS ED, UH, HASTINGS WAS ED'S HOME FOR 48 YEARS. AND DURING THAT TIME, HE WAS INSPIRED BY AND CHAMPIONED THE VILLAGES BUILT AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS, ROOF LINES AND LANDSCAPES ALIKE. AND WHEREAS ED'S ICONIC CHARACTERS BRING BRIMMING WITH CHARM, MISCHIEF AND BEAUTY ARE NOW AT PLAY IN THE LIBRARY'S [00:10:01] PICTURE BOOK ROOM AS OF TODAY, OFFICIALLY THE YOUNG ROOM. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT IN RECOGNITION OF THE IMMEASURABLE PLEASURE AND PRIDE, THE RESIDENTS OF THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON GAINES FROM HIS TALENT, I THOMAS DRAKE, ON BEHALF OF NICO NICOLA ARMCO MAYOR, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM NOVEMBER 2ND, 2025 IS ED YOUNG DAY. THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR COMING. UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T ALREADY KNOW, WE ARE ED'S DAUGHTERS. UM, WE GREW UP HERE IN HASTINGS. I'M ANTONIA, THIS IS ANAND YOUNG. I'M THE OLDER ONE, BUT I'M THE TALLER ONE. . WE DID GROW UP HERE. WE'VE SPENT MANY MAGICAL HOURS OURSELVES AS KIDS AND AS ADULTS IN THIS VERY SPACE. SO IT'S TRULY AN HONOR TO BE INVITED TO CREATE SOMETHING LASTING HERE. UM, THIS OBVIOUSLY WAS A SPACE THAT MEANT A WHOLE LOT TO ED. IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CELEBRATE ED WITHOUT CELEBRATING THE PUBLIC LIBRARY HERE. UM, HE MOVED UP HERE IN THE 1970S, OR HE DIDN'T MOVE YET. HE STARTED TEACHING TAI CHI HERE IN THE 1970S. UM, AND HE FELL IN LOVE WITH HASTINGS OVER AT SUNSET ON THE PALISADES. BY 1985, HE HAD MOVED HERE. UM, AND THAT BEGAN A 40 YEAR FRIENDSHIP WITH THE HASTINGS PUBLIC LIBRARY AND THE FRIENDS OF THE HASTINGS PUBLIC LIBRARY. UM, SO TODAY, I, I REALLY WANT TO EXPRESS DEEP GRATITUDE TO THE FRIENDS OF THE HASTINGS PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE. UM, THIS DAY HAS BEEN OVER A YEAR IN THE MAKING. UM, AND THE RESOURCES, THE ORGANIZING AND THE IDEA TO HAVE THIS, UM, IS ALL POSSIBLE BY THEM. UM, SO ED CREATED, ED PUBLISHED A HUNDRED BOOKS IN HIS LIFETIME, OVER 100 BOOKS. UH, OF THOSE PUBLISHED BOOKS, THERE ARE PROBABLY HUNDREDS OF BOOKS THAT WERE UNPUBLISHED, HUNDREDS OF IDEAS THAT WERE NEVER BORN. UM, AND SO I REALLY WANT TO THANK THE LIBRARY AS A PLACE THAT I RECOGNIZE, UM, TO FACILITATE THOSE POSSIBILITIES. IT'S A PLACE WHERE CHILDREN CAN LOSE THEMSELVES IN A STORY. UM, THEY CAN IMAGINE THEMSELVES TO BE ANYONE, THEY CAN IMAGINE THEMSELVES TO BE ANYTHING. UM, IT'S A PLACE WHERE DREAMS LIKE ED CAN BE REALIZED, UH, AND A PLACE WHERE THOSE IDEAS YET TO BE BORN CAN HAVE A CHANCE TO TAKE SHAPE. UM, AND SO, YEAH, WITH THAT, I WANT TO KIND OF PICK UP THE DAY BY INTRODUCING THE, THE NEW YOUNG ROOM, UM, WITH THIS MURAL, WHICH THE LIBRARY GRACIOUSLY TRUSTED ME AND ANANDA TO DESIGN. UH, AND THIS SIGN, THIS NEON SIGN THAT I'VE CREATED TO ANNOUNCE THE ENTRANCE OF THE ROOM, UM, ANANDA WILL NOW TURN IT ON. RIBBON. CUTTING TO, I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GONNA GO AFTER THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA MAKE ME CRY. , I LOVE WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT ED, THE LIBRARY AND ALL OF THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, MY NAME IS SHARON DE LEVY AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY. THE ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO MAKING THE MOST OF OUR WONDERFUL PUBLIC LIBRARY. LOOKING AROUND, I THINK WE CAN AGREE THAT THE FULFILLMENT OF THAT MISSION IS IN SPECTACULAR EVIDENCE. THIS AFTERNOON, THE YOUNG ROOM PROJECT SPEARHEADED BY THE LIBRARY BOARD AND REALIZED BY THE TALENT AND ENTHUSIASM OF SO MANY, HAS BEEN AN EXERCISE IN PURE JOY, THE DESIGN AND EXECUTION, AND ALSO TODAY'S EVENT CALLED FOR IMAGINATION COLLABORATION. AND YES, THE FRIENDS FUNDING , LIKE SO MANY OF THE LIBRARY'S ENHANCEMENTS, SERVICES AND PROGRAMS, THIS ROOM FULL, YOU'LL SEE THIS ROOM FULL OF CONVERTING MICE AND ASSORTED MISCHIEF WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY. SO MANY PEOPLE WORKED SO HARD TO MAKE THIS EVENT HAPPEN, AND I AM SO SORRY TO NOT NAME EVERYBODY, BUT WE DO HAVE TO GIVE SPECIAL CREDIT TO JACKIE WHITEMAN AND JOANNA RIESMAN, BETTER KNOWN AS THE IMPRE IMPRESARIOS BEHIND THE FRIENDS ONCE UPON A MUSICAL GALA IN JUNE. THEY SHOULD JUST THESE DAYS, OUR MOST DEMOCRATIC LOWERCASE D OF INSTITUTIONS NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT MORE THAN EVER TO CONTINUE TO INVIGORATE THE BOOK LOVING COMMUNITY AND THE CULTURE OF LEARNING. SO DEAR TO ED'S HEART IN HIS HONOR, LET THIS OCCASION REMIND YOU THAT AS QUOTED [00:15:01] IN THE TIMES 2023 LOVE LETTER TO LIBRARIES, WHAT WE BORROW FROM THEM PALES IN COMPARISON TO WHAT WE KEEP. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND ENJOY ED YOUNG DAY, COME AND SEE THE MURAL, AND THEN ENJOY EVERYTHING THAT ED YOUNG DAY HAS TO OFFER. OKAY, WE HAVE OUR NEXT READER STARTED. HI, I'M RONNIE SHOTTER. I'VE WRITTEN A LOT OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY NONE OF THEM ILLUSTRATED BY ED YOUNG. UM, HOWEVER, I DID HAVE THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY OF INTRODUCING ED TO MARK STEIN WHO WROTE THIS STORY. MARK IS THE BABY BROTHER OF, UM, MY OLDEST FRIEND. AND THERE'S MUCH MORE TO THIS STORY, WHICH I PROMISE AT SOME POINT I WILL TELL, BUT I INTRODUCED THEM AND THE REST IS HISTORY. THIS BOOK, AND THEN ANOTHER BOOK THEY DID TOGETHER CALLED YUGEN ALSO. SO NO CHILDREN HERE. SO , IT'S A KIND OF GROWNUP STORY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S ABOUT A CAT. SO S AND AGAIN, THIS INVENTIVE MAN DECIDED TO TURN THE PAGES THIS WAY. SO THAT'S PRETTY COOL. UM, BOBBY SABI, WAIT, I GOT HERE IN MY GLASSES AS I WAS DOING. BOBBY SABI WAS A CAT WHO LIVED IN KYOTO, JAPAN. ONE DAY, VISITORS FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY ASKED WABI SABIS MASTER WHAT HER NAME MEANT. IT HAD NEVER OCCURRED TO HER BEFORE THAT WABI SABI WAS ANYTHING MORE THAN HER NAME. WABI SABI WATCHED AS HER MASTER DREW BREATH THROUGH HER, THROUGH HER TEETH, SHOOK HER HEAD AND SAID, THAT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN. WELCOME. THIS IS A STORY ABOUT A CAT WHO WONDERS WHAT ITS NAME MEANS. AND THE NAME IS WA, THE CAT'S TAIL. TWITTING. SHE WATCHES HER MASTER STILL WAITING IN SILENCE. HOW MANY DOES ANYBODY KNOW? DO YOU KNOW WHAT A HAIKU IS? IT'S A KIND OF POETRY, ESPECIALLY KIND OF JAPANESE POETRY WITH A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SYS ON ONE LINE AND A CERTAIN NUMBER ON THE OTHER. AND SO AT THE BOTTOM, THESE ARE KUS, THE CAT'S TAIL TWITCHING. SHE WATCHES HER MASTER STILL WAITING IN SILENCE. CURIOUS. NOW, WA WONDER IF HER FRIEND SNOWBALL COULD EXPLAIN THE MEANING OF HER NAME TO HER? WE SNOWBALL SNOWBALL WHO HAD BEEN NAPPING, STRETCHED YAWNED AND SIGHED. THAT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN. SHE WENT, IT'S A KIND OF BEAUTY. SHE ADDED AFTER A MINUTE, HER EYES CLOSING AGAIN AS THOUGH DREAMING. SHE WENT ON AN OLD STRAW MAT, ROUGH FUN, CAT'S PAWS, PRICKS AND TICKLES HERTZ AND FEELS GOOD TOO. AND SHE'S KIND OF TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHAT WA SAD MEANS. AND ED DID ALL THESE WONDERFUL COLLAGES FOR THIS STORY, WHICH IS WHY THEY SEEM THREE DIMENSIONAL. THEN SNOWBALL WENT BACK TO SLEEP. WABISABI WASN'T SURE SHE UNDERSTOOD, BUT SHE DIDN'T WANNA BOTHER SNOWBALL ANYMORE. SO SHE ASKED RASCAL THE DOG IF HE KNEW ABOUT WABISABI. RASCAL WAS SMART, THE KIND OF ME THAT'S TOO HARD TO EXPLAIN TO SOMEONE LIKE YOU. HE SNAPPED THEN ALMOST TO HIMSELF. HE SAID, POOR AS SIMPLE AS A GROUND LEAF. SO, OR VISIONARY. AND THERE HE IS. THIS IS KIND OF LIKE A STORY THAT JAMES HAD JUST READ. VERY SIMILAR KIND OF THEME. NOW I'M EVEN MORE CONFUSED. SIZE SIDE WABISABI. AM I BEAUTIFUL OR ORDINARY? CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN WABISABI TO ME? SHE CRIED A BIRD FLYING BY ON THE QUESTION WAS FOR HER. THAT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN. SHE SAID TO BOBBY SABI, BUT THERE IS, THERE IS SOMEONE WHO CAN HELP YOU. HIS NAME IS KOHO AND HE LIVES ON MOUNT PE TO THE EAST. HAYE, SORRY. A WISE OLD MONKEY LIVING AMONG THE PINE TREES KNOWS BOBBY SABI. LOOK AT THESE PINE NEEDLES. THEY'RE [00:20:01] AMAZING. THANK YOU. SAID ROBBIE SAVI. AND OFF SHE WENT TO LEARN WHAT HER NAME MEANT TO GET TO MOUNT HAYE, SHE HAD TO CROSS THROUGH THE CITY DAZZLED BY BIG BUILDINGS, SHINY GLASS AND SLEEP HARD ALLED BY THE BUSY, SHARP DRESSED PEOPLE. SHE WONDERED IF THESE PRETTY THINGS COULD BE WAA. SHE DECIDED THAT IF HER NAME WAS TRUE TO HER, IT MUST BE SOFTER, QUIETER, DARKER, EVEN IN CITIES BEFORE THE SHOCK OF NEW LIGHT, THE COLORS OF DUSK. THAT'S THE CALLS. AND LOOK AT, LOOK AT THIS CAT LOOKING UP OUT AT THIS BUSY, BUSY CITY. A SHORT TIME AFTER ROBBIE SA ENTERED THE WOODS, SHE ARRIVED AT THE FOOT OF MOUNT CA. THE WOODS WERE DARK THERE, SO HOPING TO FIND ENT KOHO. IN THE MORNING, SHE CURLED UP BENEATH AN OLD PINE TREE AND WENT TO SLEEP. SHE AWOKE TO THE SAND OF A STICK, STURDY AND TAPPING A WARM BOWL OF TEA OFFERED BY A MONKEY. PLEASE STEAM RISING GENTLY. THE SOUND OF A MONKEY DISTANCE. VERY GLAD TO HAVE THE TEA AND COMPANY. SHE SAID, THANK YOU. MY NAME IS WAA. THAT'S WONDERFUL. THE MONKEY REPLIED ENCOURAG, SHE ASKED, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? WELL, THAT'S, HE BEGAN, I KNOW HARD TO EXPLAIN, SHE SAID. AND HE WENT ON THE PALE MOON, RESTING ON FOGGY WATER HERE. THAT SPLASH, A FROG HAS JUMPED IN. THAT'S WHAT AS SHE ASKED. IS THAT ALL? I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN, IT'S MORE SAID THE MONKEY. LISTEN, WATCH, FEEL. HE SAID NO MORE. SO SHE WATCHED HIM MAKE TEA. HE MOVED SLOWLY BUT GRACEFULLY AS IF HE WERE DANCING. AND HE HANDLED THESE THINGS AS IF THEY WERE GOLD, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE WOODEN OR CLAY. WAA FELT WHAT WAS IN HER CLAWS, A WARM, HEAVY BALL, COMFORTABLE AS AN OLD FRIEND, NOT FINE. SMOOTH CHINA. DO YOU LOOK CAREFUL CAREFULLY AT THE WOODS SURROUNDING THEM. THERE WAS SO MUCH LIFE AS IN THE CITY, BUT HERE THINGS WERE NOT CLEAN, NEAT OR SHARP EDGE. THERE WERE NO, THERE WERE NO STRAIGHT LINES YET THERE WERE MANY DESIGNS ON TREES AND CLOUDS AND DIRTY PONDS. SHE SAW THAT EVERYTHING WAS ALIVE AND DYING TOO. LIKE THE DAMP AUTO LEAVES CURL BENEATH THEIR FEET. SIMPLE THINGS ARE BEAUTIFUL. SHE HEARD THE MONKEY SAID AS HE POURED MORE TEA FOR HER, LOOKING DOWN AT THE, IN HER BOWL, SEEING HERSELF PLAYING AND BEAUTIFUL, SHE WHISPERED. NOW I UNDERSTAND. SO WABI SABI IS ABOUT FINDING THE BEAUTIFUL AND WHAT WE SOMETIMES THINK OF AS ORDINARY AND CERTAINLY, UM, WELL, ONE MORE PAGE. UM, CERTAINLY ED YOUNG IS GOOD AT THAT AFTER SOME EXCEPT NEVER ORDER. AFTER SOME TIME, WAA THANKED HER NEW FRIEND AND STARTED BACK FOR HOME BECAUSE SHE DID NOT HURRY. SHE FOUND A PLACE CALLED GCA. GCA JI THE SILVER TEMPLE. THERE WAS NOTHING SILVER THERE, BUT SHE FOUND THE PLACE TO BE VERY BEAUTIFUL IN A WAA KIND OF WAY. ALTHOUGH THE BUILDINGS AND GARDENS WERE SHAPED BY HUMANS, THEY WERE NEITHER FANCY NOR GRAND. MOVED BY THE NATURAL SIMPLICITY OF THE PLACE. LOBBY SAVVY COMPOSED THREE SHORT PROBES ABOUT WHAT SHE SAW. YELLOW BAMBOO STALKS BA BY TEA HOUSE DOOR, SOLO EMPERORS MUST MUTE. DARK BUILDINGS FLOATING SIT ON WHITE SAND SEEDS. A STREAM SWEEPS SMALL STONES. CHANTING THE MONK RETURNS. RETURNS LEAVES TO JUST GREAT SAND. THIS HUMBLE CAT MIGHT UNDERSTAND. AGAIN, IT'S JUST SIMPLE STUFF, BEING BEAUTIFUL, TIRED. BUT GLAD LOBBY SAVVY TURNED AT LAST TO HER HOUSE. SHE CRAWLED UP ON THE STRAW MAT IN THE KITCHEN, ENJOYING THE WARMTH THERE [00:25:01] SHE COULD SMELL THE WIND IN HER FUR AND FEEL HER LONG JOURNEY STEPS DEEP IN HER BONES. THE SUN'S LAST RAISE, STRETCH. A SILVER BREASTSTROKE STRETCH, A SILVER BREASTSTROKE SHIVERS OF WARM, CLOUDED GLASS. NOW I THINK I KNOW WHAT TO CALL THIS FEELING. SHE SAID TO HER SON, IT'S WAA PRIDE, HER MASTER SEEING HER. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? THAT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN. SHE'S HEARD FEELING SIMPLY AND BEAUTIFULLY AT HOME. SO THERE SHE IS. AND NOW SHE KNOWS THAT HER NAME, HER NAME MEANS THAT SHE'S SIMPLE BUT BEAUTIFUL AS IS CRICKET . YEAH, THEY COMPLIMENT ONE ANOTHER. WE SHOULD GO ON A MEETING TOUR. THANK YOU. I'M HERE TODAY TO READ THE SEVEN BLIND MICE. BY OBVIOUSLY ED YOUNG, ONE DAY, SEVEN BLIND MICE WERE SURPRISED TO FIND A STRANGE SOMETHING BY THEIR POND. WHAT IS IT? THEY CRIED AND THEY ALL RAN HOME. ON MONDAY, RED MOUSE WENT FIRST TO FIND OUT IT'S A PILLAR. HE SAID NO ONE BELIEVED HIM. ON TUESDAY, GREEN MOUSE SET OUT. HE WAS SECOND TO GO. IT'S A SNAKE. HE SAID NO. SAID YELLOW MOUSE ON WEDNESDAY. IT'S A SPEAR. HE WAS THE THIRD INTERN. THE FOURTH WAS PURPLE MOUSE. HE WENT ON THURSDAY. ARE YOU SEEING THE PICTURE YET? ARE WE FIGURING THIS OUT YET? IT'S A GREAT CLIFF. HE SAID. ORANGE MOUSE WENT ON FRIDAY THE FIFTH TO GO. IT'S A FAN WHO CRIED. I FELT IT MOVE. THE SIX TO GO WITH BLUE MOUSE. HE WENT ON SATURDAY AND SAID IT IS NOTHING BUT A ROPE. BUT THE OTHERS DIDN'T AGREE. THEY BEGAN TO ARGUE A SNAKE, A ROPE, A FAN, A CLIFF, UNTIL ON SUNDAY. WHITE MOUSE. THE SEVENTH MOUSE WENT TO THE POND. WHEN SHE CAME UPON SOMETHING, SHE RAN UP ONE SIDE, RAN DOWN THE OTHER. SHE RAN ACROSS THE TOP AND FROM END TO END. AH, SAID THE WHITE OR SAID, SAID WHITE MOUSE. NOW I SEE SOMETHING IS AS STURDY AS A PILLAR. SUPPLE AS A SNAKE. WHY DOES A CLIFF SHARP AS A SPEAR, BREEZY AS A FAN, STRINGY AS A ROPE. BUT ALL TOGETHER SOMETHING IS AN ELEPHANT. AND WHEN THE OTHER MICE RAN UP ONE SIDE AND DOWN THE OTHER ACROSS THE SOMETHING FROM END TO END, THEY AGREED. NOW THEY SAW TWO. THE MOUSE MORAL KNOWING IN PART MAY MAKE A FINE TALE OF WISDOM COMES FROM SEEING THE WHOLE. I THINK THIS IS SOME ADVICE THAT I MIGHT BE NEEDING TO USE THE END. TIM GOT THAT STORY INTO THIS PICTURE. ALRIGHT, TIMMY. I'M HERE TO READ THE LION AND THE MOUSE. AN ASOP TABLE THAT'S ILLUSTRATED BY ED, YOUNG LION AND THE MOUSE. A MOUSE RAN SIMILAR TO THE STORY YOU JUST HEARD ABOUT MY OVER THE BODY OF A SLEEPING LION. WAKING UP THE LION. [00:30:02] LORD SEIZED HIM AND WAS ABOUT TO EAT HIM. THE MOUSE BEGGED TO BE RELEASED AND PROMISED TO REPAY THE LION. IF HE WOULD SPARE HIM. THE LION LAUGHED AND LET HIM GO. NOT LONG AFTERWARDS, THE MOUSE WAS ABLE TO SHOW HIS GRATITUDE CAPTURED BY HUNTERS. AND A NET. THE LION WAS SUSPENDED BY A ROPE. HE STRUGGLED AND STRUGGLED. THE MOUSE HEARD HIS CRYING RUNNING TO THE SPOT. WHAT HE DID JUMPED UP AND HE'S CRAWLING UP THE NET. I KNOW, WHICH IS, LOOK AT THE LITTLE, THE MOUSE IS GONNA, HE'S TRYING TO HELP A LION WHO'S CAUGHT IN A NET. LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS. THE MOUSE FREED HIM BY GNA THROUGH THE ROPE. AND IF YOU CAN SEE, IT'S REALLY HARD TO SEE. BUT IN THIS PICTURE IT LOOKS LIKE HE'S EATING IT. BUT WHAT'S HE ACTUALLY DOING? CAN YOU TELL? HE'S GIVING THE MOUSE A LICK SAYING THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY LIFE. A CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCE CAN MAKE THE STRONG WEAK AND THE WEAK STRONG. AND HERE THE MOUSE IS THE STRONGEST ONE OF ALL. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT. MUST BE A TEACHER. . OKAY, WILL DO. YOU WANNA SIT WITH ME? OKAY. THIS IS, WE'RE GONNA READ A BOOK CALLED, OH, YOU ARE READING TO GROWNUPS. THAT'S GOOD, . OKAY, WE ARE GONNA READ A BOOK CALLED MOON MOTHER. THANK YOU. AND OKAY, THIS IS A STORY OF HOW THE WORLD BEGAN. FIRST THERE WAS THE GRASS, THEN FLOWERS, THEN TREES, THEN ANIMALS, AND LAST MEN AND WOMEN. AND THIS IS HOW IT CAME TO BE. YOU SEE THE CLOUDS ON THE BOOK? EVERYBODY? YEAH, DO THAT. OKAY. THE EARTH WAS VERY BEAUTIFUL. IT WAS NO COLD. IT WAS SUMMER, ALWAYS GRASS, FLOWERS AND TREES COVERED THE FACE OF THE EARTH. THERE WERE LAKES AND RIVERS, THERE WERE NUTS, FRUITS, ROOTS, AND BERRIES. BUT THERE WAS NO ONE TO EAT. THAT SPIRIT PER SAW THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE. IT SAID, I LIVE HERE. BUT SOON HE BECAME VERY LONESOME AND HE AMUSED HIMSELF BY MAKING ANIMALS LIKE BUSTER MAN THE DUCK. OH, LOOK AT, LOOK AT THAT. HE MADE THE FISHES AND TAUGHT THEM TO SWIM. HE MADE THE BIRDS AND TAUGHT THEM TO FLY. HE MADE THE FOXES, COYOTES, BEARS, RACCOONS, SQUIRRELS, DEER, AND ALL ANIMALS. AND TAUGHT THEM HOW TO LIVE. AFTER A TIME, HE TIRED OF HIS CREATURES AND OF MAKING THE NEW ANIMALS. HE LONGED FOR FRIENDS AND HANDS. THEREFORE, HE MADE THE IMAGES. HE MADE IMAGES OF HIMSELF AND WARMED THEM, AND THEY BECAME ALIVE. AND THIS IS HOW PEOPLE CAME TO BE. HE TALKED WITH THE MEN AND TAUGHT THEM HOW TO MAKE SPEARS, BOWS AND ARROWS AND KNIVES. HE SHOWED THEM HOW TO WEAVE BLANKETS, BUILD HOUSES, MAKE FIRE, AND HOW TO ROAST THEIR FOOD, COOK THEIR FOOD, AND BURN CLAY TO MAKE POTS. THIS KUNK. THEN THE ANIMALS COMPLAINED TO THE SPIRIT PERSON SO THAT HIS NEW CREATURES HUNTED. ANYWAY. SO TO EACH, HE GAVE SOME PROTECTION AGAINST THE MAN. THE STUNK HAD BEEN HIS PET AND WAS VERY TAM, [00:35:01] BUT HE GAVE HIM THE VEST GUARD. AND THIS MATTER, THE SPIRIT PERSON. AND THE MAN LIVED VERY HAPPILY FOR A LONG TIME. BUT AFTER A TIME THERE CAME OUT OF THE SKY, A MOTHER SKY PERSON, A WOMAN. AND SHE LIVED NEARLY IN A BEAUTIFUL VALLEY. IT WAS NOT VERY LONG UNTIL THE FIRST SPIRIT PERSON FOUND THE WOMAN'S SPIRIT. AND BECAUSE SHE WAS OF HIS OWN KIND. ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL? HE REMAINED BLACK HAIR GOING ON. THEN THE MEN WENT TO ME AND SAID, HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN US? BUT HE SAID, DO AS I HAVE TAUGHT AND THE EARTH WILL CARE FOR YOU RIGHT THERE. BUT THE MEN BEGAN TO CRAWL AND INVITE AMONG THEMSELVES. FINALLY, ONE MAN BY HIS BRAVERY, STRENGTH, AND QUICKNESS BECAME CHIEF AMONG THE MEN. AND HE SAID, COME LET US GO TO OUR GOOD FRIEND. SO THEY WENT TOGETHER TO THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRIT PEOPLE. THEY HAD GONE AWAY. AND IN THE SILENCE, THE MEN WERE AWESTRUCK AND HE DARED. GOAT IS A BABY. THE CHIEF WENT FORWARD WHERE THERE CAME A WHALE FROM INSIDE THE SACRED HOUSE. AND HE BECAME AFRAID. THE CHIEF WAS COURAGEOUS AS THE CHIEF OUGHT TO BE. HE WENT TO THE SACRED HOUSE, AND THERE UPON THE THRESHOLD WAS A NEWBORN BABY. THE SPIRIT PEOPLE HAD GONE, BUT THEY LEFT HER AS A GIFT. AND WHEN THE NIGHT CAME, THERE WAS A BLUE LIGHT IN THE SKY. WHAT'S THAT? WHAT'S THAT? IN THE SKY AND THE MOON. AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE MOON AT THE FACE OF THIS WOMAN'S SPIRIT PERSON WHO WAS CARRIED ACROSS THE SKY EVERY NIGHT BY HER HUSBAND. SO SHE MAY PLAY WITH THE STARS. THE CHIEF TOOK THE BABY TO HIS HOUSE AND ALL THE PEOPLE WAITED ON THE BABY KIND. HOLY COW. SHE WAS SHAMEFUL AS THE MOON, THE BABY. AND IN TIME SHE BECAME A WOMAN. THEN THE CHIEF TOOK HER AS HIS WIFE, AND FROM THESE TWO CAME ANOTHER BABY. AND NOW WHEN A BABY IS BORN, HE CRIES BECAUSE HE HAS LEFT THE MOON LAND AND HAS LOST THE MOON. MOTHER. SOUNDS SAD. AND WHEN ONE IS OLD AND FEEBLE, HE DIES FROM THE MOON FOR THE MOON ON HIS FACE TURNS. YEP. AND THAT'S IT. THERE'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BREAK NOW AND [00:41:02] HONOR. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.