The Banyan Deer: A Parable of Courage & Compassion Tapa dura - 2010

Rafe Martin is the author of over twenty award-winning books for adults, children, and young adults. He is also a lay Zen teacher in the Harada-Yasutani koan line and founding teacher of Endless Path Zendo, Rochester, NY. A personal disciple of Roshi Philip Kapleau (Three Pillars of Zen) and the editor of Roshi Kapleau's final two books, he later trained with Robert Aitken Roshi, completing the Diamond Sangha koan curriculum and receiving inka (authorization to teach) from Danan Henry Roshi, a Kapleau lineage teacher and a Diamond Sangha (Aitken line) Dharma Master. Rafe's books have been cited in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, and USA Today. He is the recipient of the Empire State Award for his body of work as well as multiple ALA Notable Book Awards and Storytelling World Awards. He has spoken at such events and places as the Joseph Campbell Foundation Festival of Myth and Story, The American Museum of Natural History, The Freer Gallery/Smithsonian, the National Storytelling Festival and International Storytelling Institute, the American Library Association Annual Conference, The American Booksellers Annual Conference, many Zen and Dharma Centers around the country, and numerous literary and storytelling festivals. His writings have appeared in Buddhadharma, Tricycle, Lion's Roar, The Sun, Zen Bow, Inquiring Mind, Parabola, and other journals of note.

Award-winning illustrator Richard Wehrman was born in St. Louis and attended the Washington University school of fine arts. His paintings have been exhibited at the Saint Louis Art Museum, the St. Louis Artists' Guild, and Washington University. He was chosen as Rochester's Communicator of the Year for illustration and has received a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators. Richard serves on the board of directors of the Heartwork Institute and lives in Upstate New York.