When the pandemic hit the country in February 2020, Kirk Chernansky opened a book she had often turned to for guidance when faced with overwhelming challenges. The I Ching or Book of Changes: A Guide to Life’s Turning Points by Brian Browne Walker became just the antidote. She began writing about her experiences in the radically changing world of COVID and the sage advice she was receiving. With the hope that sharing this ancient Chinese wisdom might help others as well, it became a weekly blog and now this book.

By including her art with her writing, Kirk’s book becomes a metaphorical storyboard of change. The image of an apple striving to become a tree merges with the miming of Marcel Marceau whose facial expressions and body language are incorporated into each illustration. Together, the images and writings capture the humble, steadfast approach to change inherent in the writings of the I Ching.