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It is always energizing to speak with Lily Yeh. We were on the phone recently about her upcoming TED Talk in Vancouver —"Transforming Brokenness into Beauty.” Lily, who generates her own inspiring responses to the suffering in the world, told me she was taken by the idea of Infectious Generosity coined by Chris Anderson, the curator of TED Talks. As Chris explains, “It’s just any generous act that sparks someone else to be generous.” Lily has brought her generosity and the power of art to some of the most distressed parts of the world, including Healing from Genocide in Rwanda.
Generous acts are also central to Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty, whose 30th anniversary edition arrives this April. Mayumi Oda’s illustrations for it show us a path out of the worst violence, as does the text by Anne Herbert and Paloma Pavel which affirms, “We have power.”
In community, Lynne
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Mother and child in the Rugerero Survivors Village, Rwanda, 2024. Photo by Sally Thompson. | |
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The special anniversary editions of Mayumi Oda's uniquely beautiful and timeless
illustrated books—I Opened the Gate, Laughing and Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty—have made it to the bookstores this month! Be sure to purchase a copy before they sell out...
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Random Kindness and Senseless
Acts of Beauty 30th Anniversary Edition
Anne Herbert, Paloma Pavel, Mayumi Oda
With beautifully crafted words and exuberant watercolor illustrations, this book offers a poetic and empowering message for world peace. This modern allegory inspires taking joyful steps to end violence. It expands upon the idea that "we are all in the circle together," a timeless parable for readers of all ages. In the playful style of 12th century Japanese picture scrolls, Mayumi Oda's art depicts humans as animals who lose their way when their leaders become confused and drawn to violence.
The message of this book is the realization that each person can become an agent of goodness and beauty.
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Praise for Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty
"This exquisite book offers guidance to us all."
— Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple
"It distills—in ordinary, inspired language—all we need to know right now in order to let our
lives count in building a sustainable world. It tells us about the kind of power we each have right now to take a choice—and the delight that can be ours, if we are not afraid to seize it."
— Joanna Macy, author, Buddhist scholar, environmental activist
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I Opened the Gate, Laughing
20th Anniversary Edition
Mayumi Oda
The story of one woman's journey to creative freedom through gardening and the teachings of Zen. Born in Japan, Mayumi Oda comes back to the practice of Buddhism at beautiful Green Gulch Farm retreat center in Northern California, where she finds new tranquility and creative spirit through her pen, her brush, and her trowel to overcome the constraints of a traditional upbringing and the sadness of the end of a marriage.
This enchanting book is a meditation on the search for inner peace and reawakening, awash with luscious prints and watercolors, beautifully designed, and filled with vivid stories and verse.
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Praise for I Opened the Gate, Laughing
"Mayumi's heart surpasses all measures of courage in her devotion to the earth."
— Paul Hawken, author of Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Social Movement in History is Restoring Grace, Justice, and Beauty to the World
"Mayumi Oda . . . models ways to walk in beauty and with grace for everyone who feels called by the emergence of the feminine in this time when restoring balance and equilibrium to the human-nature experiment is so urgent and timely."
— Nina Simons, cofounder of Bioneers
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Mayumi Oda was born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1941. Known to many as the "Matisse of Japan," she has exhibited
over 50 one-woman shows throughout the world. In addition to her work as an artist, Oda has spent many years of her life as a global activist participating in anti-nuclear campaigns worldwide. Mayumi currently lives at her beloved Ginger Hill Farm in Kealakeku, Hawai'i.
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Robert Shetterly to present at
Pecha Kucha Night
Strand Theatre, Rockland, ME
Friday, April 5, 7PM EST
Pecha Kucha Night, an evening of visual storytelling, celebrates the people, passion, and creativity in the community. The format is a unique presentation style where ideas and works are shared with multi-image slideshows. Presenters, including Robert Shetterly, will provide a glimpse into their craft.
More info and Register HERE
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Dr. Mindy Fullilove Events
At Home With Growing Older: On Air
Virtual/Zoom | Thurs, April 11, 5:30PM PST
Dr. Fullilove and forum host, Susanne Stadler, will discuss Healthy Cities: How our homes and neighborhoods support individual and community health across generations.
More info and Register HERE
For Love of Lakeland: Reparations Education Project — "Lakeland and Root Shock" Washington County, MD
Wed, April 17, 7:30–9PM EST
In this Braxton Institute & College Park Restorative Justice Commission's Town Hall workshop, Dr. Fullilove will discuss her book Root Shock and its relevance to Lakeland and the call for Restorative Action. No registration needed.
More info HERE
Main Street America Now Conference: Main Idea Session
Birmingham, AL | Tues, May 7, 9–10AM
Dr. Fullilove will join Main Street America President, Erin Barnes, for a fireside chat on how well-designed, equitable spaces create connections to place and people, which catalyze healing for communities that have experienced disinvestment.
Conference info HERE
Register HERE
| Dr. Mindy Thompson Fullilove is a social psychiatrist and educator. Her work centers on displacement, collective consciousness, and urban mental health. She is the author of Root Shock, Urban Alchemy, Main Street, and other titles. | |
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A. B. Spellman to open the Max Roach Centennial Celebration Jazz Festival as keynote speaker
Museum of the Albemarle, Elizabeth City, NJ
Thurs, April 11, 6PM
The Museum of the Albemarle and Elizabeth City State University will host the Max Roach Centennial Celebration Jazz Festival opening night reception with Elizabeth City native, A. B. Spellman. Spellman is a contributing author to New Village anthology Art in a Democracy, and taught at Morehouse College, Emory University, Rutgers, and Harvard University.
More info HERE
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Mary Anne Trasciatti to speak on
Politics of Memory at Montclair State U.
MSU School of Business 101, Montclair, NJ
Thursday, April 11, 6:30PM EST
Activist, scholar, and co-editor of Talking to the Girls, Trasciatti, will speak with co-designer of the Triangle Fire Memorial in Manhattan about the relationship between history, memory and public space, and the politics at work in building the past in the present.
More info and Register HERE
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Lily Yeh to speak at "The Brave and
The Brilliant" flagship TED conference
Vancouver Convention Centre, Canada
April 15–19
This year's conference marks the 40th anniversary of TED's founding, celebrating creativity, ingenuity, courage, wisdom, and generosity. Artist, author, and beloved restorer of broken communities, Lily Yeh will join a line up of influential speakers as she shares her stories and the work of Barefoot Artists with the world.
More info HERE
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Mayumi Oda to host a studio and
garden tour at Donkey Mill Art Center's Happy Veggies Exhibit, May 11
Donkey Mill Art Center, Holualoa, HI
Exhibit: March 30–June 29
What wonders await you in your garden? How do you mālama your garden? What magic can this beauty inspire?
Tour: guests will enjoy an inspiring morning filled with art and conversation in Mayumi's studio and the beautiful landscapes of Gingerhill Farm. Tea and pastries will be provided. Space is limited to 12 people, early registration is highly recommended.
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Making a Way Out of No Way photograph features in exhibition
Art In Treasured Spaces (First Floor),
Annapolis, MD
March 1–June 7
"Maryland Muse: A Tapestry of Inspiration" presents a diverse collection of two-dimensional creative works inspired by the unique cultural, beauty, and daily lives of Marylanders. Included in this display is photography from NVP author Merideth Taylor's forthcoming book, Making a Way Out of No Way.
Exhibit info HERE
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New Village Press to exhibit at the
Community Built Association 2024 Conference
Providence, RI
Conference: May 2–5, Leadership Workshop: April 29–May 1
The CBA 2024 Conference will be a collaborative, creative conversation for over 100 community building artists from across the country. This year's conference is focused on building a collective future from coast-to-coast. Academics, performers, designers, artists, officials, planners and funders are invited to this unique form of exchange and support.
More info HERE
Register for the 2024 Conference HERE
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Ride reviews Meeting the Moment
Dana Edell on Jan Cohen-Cruz and Rad Pereira's Meeting the Moment: Socially Engaged Performance, 1965-2020 by Those Who Lived It:
"More than simply sharing the stories and lived experiences of the 70+ controbutors, Cohen-Cruz and Pereira track the legacies of the field and offer sharp analysis and insights into how this work has thrived (despite its vast challenges), what its creators need and who supporting its future is more urgent now than ever before."
Full Review HERE
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Spoon Jackson to release his first LP,
NO MOON, on April 17th
No Moon is internationally acclaimed poet Spoon Jackson’s American magnum opus. A sprawling, spiritual soundscape which he co-created (with artist Nicolas Snyder) from prison, where he has been incarcerated for 46 years. Featuring Native American flute played by Spoon on songs “Turning Point” and “No Moon,” as well as his visionary recited poetry, this album is a profound musical journey and testament to the endless freedom of imagination, even from behind prison walls.
Read More and Stream HERE
Link to the NO MOON Listening Party on April 20 7PM ET at PIT, Brooklyn
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David Cortright for Boston Review,
"Aaron Bushnell and the Power of Protest"
"[Bushnell's] death sends a message for us to take continued action against the war and in support of Palestinian rights, to pressure our government to insist that Israel end the bloodshed. Our success in achieving these goals will depend on building an ever larger and more persistent movement of millions of people determined to work for peace."
Full article HERE
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Muriel Fox in the Media
Kirkus Reviews reviews The Women's Revolution
"Revealing, inspiring commentary on the struggles and successes of civil rights pioneers."
Access the Full Review HERE
PR News traces "How Muriel Fox Used Public Relations to Change the World"
Jared Meade: "Muriel's legacy is not finished. Her contribution to the feminist movement and her commitment to women's rights continue to inspire and impact generations to come."
Access the Full Review HERE
Museum of Public Relations' "PR Women Who Changed History: Women's Rights At Risk" event now available on Youtube
Watch the Full Event HERE
Muriel Fox cofounded the National Organization for Women (NOW) and NOW’s powerful Legal Defense & Education Fund (now Legal Momentum), pivotal forces in the Second Wave Feminist Movement. At age 96, she honors 30 leaders of the feminist movement in her forthcoming memoir—The Women's Revolution: How We Changed Your Life.
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Wisconsin Examiner highlights 'Waging Peace' Exhibition
Roger Bybee: "'Waging Peace' offers a full and extraordinarily powerful picture of the way that soldiers and veterans provided a much-overlooked but immense contribution to forcing an end to the United States invasion of Vietnam. [...] It is never too late to learn from that history. And it is never too soon to start. The exhibition's Wisconsin tour opens the door to the lessons it can offer."
Full article HERE
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Coupon for all New Village Press books | |
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ENJOY 20% OFF
Purchases through our distributor
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Enter code
PEACE20 at checkout.
Valid on all New Village Press titles
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Making a Way Out of No Way
Lives of Labor, Love, and Resistance
Merideth M. Taylor
A moving, photographically illustrated work of historical fiction. This unique, handsome hardcover book is a poetic, interwoven collage of scenes and community of characters that reflect the diversity of experience, “silences,” and incompleteness of the historical record of slavery on tobacco plantations of Southern Maryland.
Coming June
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The Women's Revolution
How We Changed Your Life
Muriel Fox
A comprehensive, indexed memoir about the Second Wave women's movement by the cofounder of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Muriel Fox offers rare, firsthand stories of 29 women and one man, including Betty Freidan, but also many who have not previously been recognized for their contributions.
Coming June
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Americans Who Tell the Truth | |
Artist, activist, and author Robert Shetterly has painted over 260 portraits of Americans Who Tell the Truth. His exquisite paintings of inspiring activists are exhibited in dozens of communities and used to support a variety of public programs—see news below. | |
Truth Tellers documentary now on American Public Television!
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Nearly 300 public television stations will air the feature-length documentary film about Americans Who Tell the Truth, Truth Tellers, multiple times through 2025.
To find out when it will be broadcast in your area contact your local PBS affiliate.
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The MY HERO Project and Americans Who Tell the Truth partnership:
Robert Shetterly Portrait Contest
Students of all ages are invited to submit portraits of someone they admire for their significant contribution to their community, the planet or themselves. The Shetterly Prize to be awarded to the most heroic portrait submitted.
More info and Submission HERE
Finding Our Way: A Moth-Style Storytelling Event presented by Wayfinder schools
Live at the Camden Opera House, Camden, ME | May 2nd, 7PM
This fundraising evening featuring Wayfinder graduates and notable Mainers, including Robert Shetterly, offers funny, poignant, and heartfelt stories of people finding their way in theater, art, business, writing, dance, education, and the great outdoors!
More info and Ticket Purchase HERE
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