Ceramicist B. Stevens Strauss will discuss the wabi-sabi aesthetic, and teach chabana (a form of ikebana), from 1 to 3 p.m. at 388 9th St., Oakland, Calif. Strauss created a display case of flowers arranged in some of her raku vases, meant to demonstrate the wabi-sabi aesthetic Yone Noguchi illustrates in a passage of his novel, “The American Diary of a Japanese Girl.” The Oakland Asian Cultural Center is currently displaying an exhibit on Noguchi. Exhibit curator, Nina Egert, will discuss how to bring a similar appreciation for nature into the writing of haiku. Info: (510) 637-0455.