I somehow missed this New Yorker cover 2 1/2 years ago when Barack Obama was elected president. I saw it for the first time this week, thanks to Julie Danielson of Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. Though embarrassed by my tunnel vision, I’m glad in a way that so much time has passed before my eyes landed on it.

The euphoria from that time has subsided but seeing this powerful illustration brought back those emotions in an instant. No matter what your politics are, it was a turning point in history and the good that it brought about in healing racial wounds can’t be denied. In my mind, this illustration sums that all up in a simple, sublime way. And it’s a beautiful piece of artwork.

Curiously, when I watched the video (which pans over the image in an artful way) I wasn’t moved nearly as much as when I saw it all in one take. If nothing else, the stillness of the image lends more impact than a movie ever can. It makes me believe there will always be a place for pictures that don’t move, make sounds or link us to another page, and that they can coexist with their more kinetic offspring.

I made a little movie about how I created the artwork for NEVILLE. I hope you like it. I hope you like it so  much you’ll have to own a copy for yourself and give some away as gifts. NEVILLE will be published in September 2011 by Schwartz and Wade Books.

Dear Friends,
Today is Library Advocacy Day in Albany. As you will read below, our libraries are in danger of severe cuts from the state and federal levels, which means either library services will be cut, or local taxes will go up, or libraries will close.
Since becoming a Trustee of the Woodstock Library I’ve been learning how essential library services are to a broad spectrum of every community. I urge you to read the message below from the Woodstock Library (it’s true for all our libraries!), and to click on the Contact Your Elected Officials square. This will lead you to the New York Library Association website, and by entering your zipcode, to 2 messages you can easily fax or email to your state officials (whether or not you’re a voter) with just a click.
I urge you to send both messages. Bombarding our elected officials today with our support of our libraries will send a strong and necessary message. And please pass thism essage on to your lists!
(For those of us of a spiritual bent, it occurred to me to say the Saraswati mantra as well, with the intention of blessing our libraries. Libraries are Saraswati places!)
Love, Cassia

**If the link below doesn’t work try this pasting this into your browser - http://www.nyla.org/index.php?page_id=925

Woodstock Public Library Newsletter March 2011 Dear Library User ,  Today is Library Advocacy Day in Albany. Librarians, Library Board Members, Friends, Library workers, and Library users from all over New York State will be meeting with their elected officials to communicate the importance of Library funding. Library funding has been drastically reduced. Cuts in Library Aid fall heaviest upon library systems – which serve as the backbone of our information infrastructure, and provide the shared services & collaborative approach that save libraries and library users money.   We’re working hard to get the message to Albany today and we need your help. Please contact your elected officials and urge them to reject the latest round in cuts to Library Aid that will reduce funding by 10% or $8.45 million and bring state aid to below 1994 levels. Clicking on the Library Advocate button above will guide you through a simple process so you can easily send a letter to your elected officials. Thank you.   The Woodstock Public Library is your open door to knowledge, enjoyment, and community. www.woodstock.org