Stories from the Stacks
The Monthly Liaison: December 2022
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If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer. . .
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!
- "Invitation" by Shel Silverstein, in Where the Sidewalk Ends
The night is long, the snow is deep, the cold burrows to our bones.
Inside the Library, the fire is warm. The stories crackle and glow.
A tiny girl in a purple snowsuit, her pink face framed by a furry hood, shuffles through the stacks behind her father. A teenager home from her first semester at college finishes a final project by a window framed with icicles. A teacher on holiday shrugs off his parka, sinks into a chair by the fireplace, releases a contented sigh, and drifts into a book.
Whoever you are, come in. The fire awaits. The stories are yours. Come in and get warm.
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Jenny Emery Davidson, Ph.D.
Executive Director
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The Space between Snowflakes | |
By Kyla Merwin
Communications Manager
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Days in the Wood River Valley are filled with rosy cheeks, sugar cookies, snow play, shopping, and–in the true spirit of the season–the celebration of faith.
At The Community Library, you will find wisdom, inspiration, and tomes of great religious journeys from every faith under the sun: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Paganism, and more.
My own bookshelves are filled with spiritual inspiration. But the type of faith that’s on my Grinch-like mind this year is the type that prompts:
"Leap and the net will appear."
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Sometimes life might feel like walking a tightrope, but my motto has always been: "Don't look down and hang on for dear life." That is, until one fine day when I let go of the threads that wove together my expectations.
First there was nothing. A void. The space between snowflakes. The long moments after you've let go of one trapeze and are spinning out of control.
Like anyone in a freefall might do, I panicked. Then I prayed.
I prayed for patience. I prayed for resilience. I prayed for trust in a benevolent Universe. I prayed for the best, highest outcome for all.
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“...when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” ~Paulo Coelho | |
Along with prayer, I wove a meditation practice into my days, which–scientifically speaking–helps calm one's "fight or flight" response while it strengthens the prefrontal cortex (the command center of reason, logical thinking, and cognitive control).
Vietnamese Thiền Buddhist monk, peace activist, author, poet, and teacher, Thich Nhất Hạnh says it better in The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation:
“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.”
And so I breathe. And this is how it goes. Some days are just better than others. There's no escaping that.
In the best-selling novel, The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho writes: “...when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
Some days my attempt to trust in a universe that conspires on my behalf fails miserably. Other days I'm in sync, living in the flow of life. The work is day-by-day, sometimes hour-by-hour, moment-by-moment.
The Muslims say, "Trust Allah, but tie up your camel." Faith doesn't ask that I sit in a corner thinking positive thoughts until some outside force rains down prosperity, love, success, health, and a winning lottery ticket on my head. My flavor of faith asks me to invest in the process and divest of the outcome.
Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung wrote these words, which are included in Selected Letters of C.G. Jung, 1909–1961:
“When one is in a mess...one must do the next thing with diligence and devotion.”
So I put one foot in front of the other with my best effort and good intentions and let the chips fall where they may.
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"...do the next thing with diligence and devotion.” ~Carl Jung | |
In the void, though, it's easy to wonder: Is it all for naught? Is each of us ultimately alone in this great big Universe? Are we only ever spinning out of control in a world that sometimes feels harsh and unforgiving—where cold hard gravity always wins?
I don't think so. There is a good Buddha heart inside of me that says otherwise. If I listen, I hear a quiet voice inside that whispers: Trust, trust.
So much of the Universe we occupy is ineffable. For me, the point is to keep seeking—with an open heart and eyes trained inward. Two of my favorite places to do this are:
- Snuggled up with an inspiring book by the fireplace at The Community Library
- Exploring the quiet space between snowflakes
Wherever you may be in your journey, my holiday/New Year's wish (let's call it a prayer) is that you occupy those spaces as often as possible, and find your heart filled with a deep enriching faith.
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Herald from the Hemingway House | |
I felt immensely fortunate and grateful to have gotten to spend writing, thinking, and resting time in the beautiful Hemingway House. It was a genuinely magical time full of new ideas, new friends, and wonderful, surprise animal encounters. What a joy and a privilege to get to know the community of Ketchum. I can't wait to return.
~Martyna Majok, Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist
and 2022 Sun Valley Playwright's Resident
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The snow falls, the days shorten, and the temperatures dip into the single digits. Cheeks are never rosier nor the sky ever bluer than wintertime in
the Wood River Valley! We've curated some titles to warm your chilly
nights and illuminate new ideas ... in print, digital, English, and Spanish.
All free at The Community Library.
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by Katherine May
In print, Non-fiction
818.6 MAY
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by Isabel Allende
In print, large print, eaudiobook, CD, ebook
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by Isabel Allende
In Spanish/print, ebook, and eaudiobook
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by Lama Surya Das
In print, Non-fiction
398.2 DAS
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by Pablo Neruda
In print, Non-fiction
SPA 861.62 NER
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by Dick Dorworth
New Non-fiction Foyer
796.93 DOR
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by Thich Nhất Hạnh
Overdrive eAudiobook
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by Paulo Coelho
eBook, eaudiobook, CD,
and in print
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by H.H. The Dalai Lama
Film on Kanapy
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by Nikki Tate
Juv Non-Fiction
J 394.26 TAT
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by Jay Asher
YA Fiction
YA FIC ASH
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by Susan Cooper
in Picture Books
J Easy COO
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based on the song
in Picture Books
J Easy SMI
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by Robert E. Barry
in Picture Books
J Easy BAR
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Children's Titles - Spanish | |
by Dr. Seuss
in Juvenile Easy Spanish
J Easy Spa SEU
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by Jenny Torres Sanchez
in Juvenile Easy Spanish
J Easy Spa SAN
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by Serena Dei
in Juv NF Spanish
J EASY SPA GRI
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THANK YOU to November Donors | |
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Jacqueline and Peter Anderson
Anonymous (2)
Argyros Family Foundation
Mary Jane and Samuel Armacost
Claudia Aulum and Ralph Pavone
Kim Baar
Roberta and Roland Bloom
Kathleen and Hugh Blue
Debbie and Franklin Otis Booth, III
Broschofsky Galleries
Michelle Buzzoni
Alice and John Calvert
Laura and Scott Carlin
Barbara and Charles Corwin
Kate and Peter Daly
Gigi and Jim Daniels
Rae Petrovsky Devito
Jeanne P. Flowers
Cay Fortune and John Shimer
Shirley and Harry R. Hagey
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Sibyl W. Hanson
Margund and John Haskell
Carol and Bert Hughes
Wendy and James Jaquet
Debbie and Jerry Johnson
Emily and Dr. Steven Karassik
Judith Kindler and Kyle Johnson
Wendy and David Kistler
Cathleen A. Leamy
Roy Lightbody
Jeanne and Tom Liston
Karen Little
Elise B. Lufkin
Ann and Gregory Lyle
Leslie and Jon Maksik
C. Joy and Thomas M. Mistele
Susan Moscrip and David Hummon
Sharon and Philip Nathans
Kathleen Nichols and Doug Holen
Harriet Parker Bass and Dr. Richard Bass
Albina and Jeffrey Parks
Carolyn and Norris Peterson
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Kathleen Phelan Britt and Jim Britt
Elaine H. and Michael T. Phillips
Nancy Quaife
The Rogers Foundation
Tedde and Jim Reid
Elizabeth and Robert Reniers
Kathryn Keefer Reynolds
Lisa Riddiough
Cheryl and Vern Rollin
Janet Ross-Heiner
Anne R. Sarewitz
Mary Louise and James W. Sedin
Margaret Macdonald Stewart and Mark Stewart
Barbara and Woody Stuart
Ann and Doug Taylor
Karen and Lamar Waters
Sandra Webel
Diana Whiting and Douglas Walton
The Warrington Foundation
Lisa Williams
Dan Woodford
Barbara Young Schlosser
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Lynn and Dr. Bruce Kaplan in Honor of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Hoehn
Linda and Hans Muehlegger in Memory of Corneil Therrien
Nadia Warner in Memory of Corneil Therrien
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Robyn and Todd Achilles
Big Wood Landscape
Daphne Coble and Patrick Murphy
Kathleen Diepenbrock and Kelly Weston
Claudia and John Gaeddert
Kyla Merwin
Elaine H. and Michael T. Phillips
Narda Pitkethly
Gay Weake
Anita Weissberg
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Photo Above: United States Poet Laureate Rita Dove | |
Did You Know You Can Also Give
Out of Your Investments?
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The Community Library is supported by people who believe in the free flow of news, entertainment, and information.
The Library gladly accepts stock donations. Also, you might look at the benefits of making a gift from your IRA (also known as IRA Charitable Rollover Gifts). Money can be transferred directly from your IRA to a 501(c)(3) charity, such as The Library, TAX-FREE! Donors must be 70½ years of age, and a gift from an IRA helps you meet your Required Minimum Distributions.
Strategize now to save on next year’s taxes. Director of Philanthropy, Carter Hedberg, is here to assist you.
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