Dreaming Me: An African-American Woman's Buddhist Journey [Hardcover]

Janice Dean Willis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 29, 2001

From an Alabama mining camp to India, from the Baptist church to Tibetan monasteries in Nepal, Dreaming Me is the account of how one woman realized her dreams against all odds.

The black section of an Alabama mining camp in the 1950s and 1960s is not where you might expect to find a budding Indo-Tibetan scholar, the first American woman and the first African American to become so. Jan Willis's journey from the Jim Crow south to Wesleyan University is a moving tale of spiritual exploration and a profound healing of the rage and low self-esteem that are the legacy of racism.

The civil rights movement was in full swing during Jan's teenage years, when she and her family marched with Martin Luther King in Birmingham, and when she later became one of eight black students to attend Cornell University. As with so many others of her time, Jan was constantly faced with the dilemma of how to win the struggle for freedom. She participated in the takeover of an academic building at Cornell, and she was actively recruited by the Black Panthers. But a trip to India, and her relationship with a Tibetan spiritual master, would set her firmly on the path to peace-both outward and inward.

Three decades as a student of Tibetan Buddhism gave Willis the structure and support to transform her life by helping her to confront the old wounds and to discover a well of confidence and joy we all share.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Raised in segregated Alabama, as an adult Willis journeyed to the monasteries of Kathmandu. In this memoir, she remembers the segregated South of the 1950s and 1960s. She lets readers travel back with her: growing up with TV channels that had "trouble along the cable" whenever a black performer appeared, avoiding getting swatted by the spirited "shouters" in her church or marching with Martin Luther King Jr. in Birmingham. She takes readers inside the Cornell black students' protests of the late 1960s and reveals the temptations of the Black Panthers. Ultimately she chose inner peace over carrying a piece: it was the Buddhist path, which acknowledged suffering but focused on healing, that won her heart. While her Tibetan mentor, Lama Yeshe, had no personal experience with American racism, he saw his student's wounded self-esteem and helped her cope with her perfectionism. Willis returned to America, becoming one of the first tenured Buddhist scholars in academia (she is currently a professor of religious studies at Wesleyan University). Although she recounts several difficult experiences from her early days as an African-American professor and practicing Buddhist, Willis is strong. She realizes that the Baptist she was raised to be and the Buddhist she has become share basic beliefs: "We are all human beings... all wish to have happiness and to avoid suffering." (Apr.)Forecast: Hailed by Time magazine as one of the top innovators in religion for the new millennium, Willis delivers a gripping, intimate account of her spiritual journey that will move anyone who is compelled by the examined life. The Buddhist audience will discover her through an upcoming book excerpt in Tricycle, but with a whisper to Oprah, she could be the first African-American Buddhist feminist guru to be embraced by reading groups across America.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Destined for the same shelf as Anne Lamott's Traveling Mercies and Kathleen Norris's The Cloister Walk and Amazing Grace, this is a powerful memoir of a "Baptist Buddhist" who writes with courage, compassion, and forgiveness. Like Lamott and Norris, Willis (religion, Wesleyan Univ.; Enlightened Beings, The Diamond Light) did not find her faith in the "easy way." Born into a "colored" Baptist family in Birmingham, AL, during the 1950s, Willis was subjected to hatred and humiliation firsthand. One of her earliest memories is of watching her mother stand behind a door with a loaded gun to protect her daughters as the Klan burned a cross on the family's lawn. The most heart-breaking scene is of Willis's father, who also loved learning, running away to the closest black college, camping out because he had no money, and being forced to go home because there were no jobs for educated blacks. A lesser spirit might have given up, but Willis followed her conscience, marching with Dr. King in Birmingham and opting to attend an Ivy League university. Eventually, her choices led her to rendezvous with both the Black Panthers and Buddhists in India. This searching memoir is recommended for all collections. Pam Kingsbury, Florence, AL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover (March 29, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573221732
• ISBN-13: 978-1573221733
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,786,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Universal Dreaming, June 10, 2001

By 

"etollis" (San Jose, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dreaming Me: An African-American Woman's Buddhist Journey (Hardcover)

This book was read in one marathon session that flew by all too quickly. It spoke to the very core of my being. Having this story told in such a personal way deftly teaches the reader at every level. It's well written and one could easily be fooled that they are simply being entertained with a good read. There were many moments where I felt stunned with deep recognition of a life experience that mirrors a good portion of my own. I connected with this book deeply at the heart level. Most touching were the moments with her teacher, Lama Yeshe. His extraordinary heart helped her heal deep societal and personal pains which have traveled across generations influencing and shaping our culture in difficult ways. Thank goodness Dr. Willis chose to develop the good heart, rather than fight the good fight. One does not need to be in a culturally specific group or religion to recognize and feel Dr. Willis' experience. She reached into the depths of spirit and wrote in a way that touches universally. This lady has a heart that totally outsizes her brilliant, immeasurable intellect and her story will benefit countless numbers. I'm one unabashedly grateful reader.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can Use This Book for Different Aspects, May 3, 2001

By 

Michael Charton - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dreaming Me: An African-American Woman's Buddhist Journey (Hardcover)

I bought this book for the collection of the Nutley (NJ) Public Library. I read the review in Library Journal and was just fascinated. The book came, and after reading it, I am glad I bought it. You can use this book for several different purposes. 1. Discussion of Buddhism. 2. A travelog for India and Nepal. 3. The history of African-Americans in the South and what they went through. 4. A History of Universities in the 60's. 5. Personal Journeys.

Professor Willis started literally with the odds against her. If she were a thoroughbred in Triple Crown racing, it would have been a long shot bet. Thus, besides brilliance, being in the right place at the right time helps. It also helps that she is curious about things and questioning. You learn about her fork in the road. Buddhism or the Black Panthers. I am certainly glad she chose the former. Her lama, who knew nothing about American Race relations, but understood her personal issues. From that, he produced a Buddhist scholar, who I would be honored to study under. A great book for all personal journeys.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dreaming All of Us, September 19, 2001

By 

Ken B. (Colchester, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dreaming Me: An African-American Woman's Buddhist Journey (Hardcover)

Books like "Dreaming Me" are gifts or treasures that we rarely have the good fortune to discover. Ms Willis' journey is at times painful yet ultimately joyful. She shares this pain and joy in a compelling writing style that is filled with anecdotes and drama. No matter what your life experiences may be you are quickly drawn into the universal themes that every human being shares. As a white male living in the Northeast during the sixties I was on the other side of the world from a person like Ms Willis. Yet she made her experiences part of me. And like two parts of a greater experience I felt whole after reading this book. I highly recommend it. Thank you Ms Willis for putting your experiences into such a beautifully written book.