Events for Youth & Families: Shapes, Lines, and Light, My Grandfather's American Journey

Sat, Oct 1 2022
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Central Library, Dweck Center

Events for Youth and Family kids


Katie Yamasaki’s newest picture book celebrates the life of her grandfather, the acclaimed Japanese American architect Minoru Yamasaki.

Minoru Yamasaki described the feeling he sought to create in his buildings as “serenity, surprise, and delight.” Here, Katie Yamasaki charts his life and work: his childhood in Seattle’s Japanese immigrant community, paying his way through college working in Alaska’s notorious salmon canneries, his success in architectural school, and the transformative structures he imagined and built. A Japanese American man who faced brutal anti-Asian racism in post–World War II America and an outsider to the architectural establishment, he nonetheless left his mark on the world, from the American Midwest to New York City, Asia, and the Middle East.

This striking picture book renders one artist’s work through the eyes of another, and tells a story of a man whose vision, hard work, and humanity led him to the pinnacle of his field.

Shapes, Lines and Light: My Grandfather's American Journey will be available for purchase and signing courtesy of Greenlight Bookstore.

As part of the ongoing effort to best care for our community, we request that guests for all indoor BPL Presents programs assess your own health and stay home if feeling unwell. We also encourage you to wear masks in all enclosed spaces at the library.  

Events for Youth & Families programs are made possible through generous support from the Estate of Pearl S. Reuillard in memory of her parents Yetta and Louis Schwartz.

10 Grand Army Plaza
Brooklyn, NY 11238 Get Directions
Add to My Calendar 10/01/2022 01:00 pm 10/01/2022 02:00 pm America/New_York Events for Youth & Families: Shapes, Lines, and Light, My Grandfather's American Journey <p>Katie Yamasaki’s newest picture book celebrates the life of her grandfather, the acclaimed Japanese American architect Minoru Yamasaki.</p> <p>Minoru Yamasaki described the feeling he sought to create in his buildings as “serenity, surprise, and delight.” Here, Katie Yamasaki charts his life and work: his childhood in Seattle’s Japanese immigrant community, paying his way through college working in Alaska’s notorious salmon canneries, his success in architectural school, and the transformative structures he imagined and built. A Japanese American man who faced brutal anti-Asian racism in post–World War II America and an outsider to the architectural establishment, he nonetheless left his mark on the world, from the American Midwest to New York City, Asia, and the Middle East.</p> <p>This striking picture book renders one artist’s work through the eyes of another, and tells a story of a man whose vision, hard work, and humanity led him to the pinnacle of his field.</p> <p><em>Shapes, Lines and Light: My Grandfather's American Journey</em> will be available for purchase and signing courtesy of Greenlight Bookstore.</p> Brooklyn Public Library - Central Library, Dweck Center MM/DD/YYYY 60