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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
"Buddhism and punk rock," writes former skate punk, drug addict, and petty thief and current Buddhist meditation instructor Noah Levine in his memoir Dharma Punx, "obviously have some huge differences." No argument there. "But," he continues, "for me they are both part of a single thread that has been stitched through every aspect of my life." Judging by Levine's childhood, it's amazing there's any salvageable material with which to stitch. He was suicidal at age five, smoking pot and drinking beer while crashing headlong into the Bay Area punk scene by the 8th grade, and in and out of jail as a wayward teen who stole VCRs from neighbors to finance a crack habit. After he hit bottom and embraced a Buddhist path similar to that endorsed by his father, author Stephen Levine, the trappings of his previous life were largely rejected. Except for the punk rock, which Levine channeled into a Buddhist worldview. The firs! t section of the book is harrowing as Levine details his descent into addiction and does so with a simple matter-of-fact approach that makes his tale all the more compelling. Levine is a potent central character, always sympathetic even when he's neither likable nor completely forgivable. Later sections lack the same impact and consist largely of travelogues of the author's journeys around the world in search of spiritual satisfaction along with attempts to reconcile the disparate worlds of punk and Buddhism. Nonetheless, it is satisfying to see Levine return to the juvenile halls where he was once incarcerated, this time as a counselor. While there is nothing especially unique about the literary genre of reformed addict memoir, it's a genre that rarely involves punk rockers or Buddhists. Levine's unique and skillfully related journey will appeal to punks, Buddhists, and anyone interested in the idea of redemption. --John Moe
From Publishers Weekly
Like father, like son: Levine, son of Buddhist teacher and author Stephen Levine, updates his father's path to enlightenment in this engaging memoir. The 32-year-old author spent his youth in what Buddhists would call the hell realm-here found in addictive drugs and alcohol and criminal behavior, beginning at age six with marijuana and culminating at age 17 with detoxification from alcohol in a padded cell in juvenile hall. His father's meditation instructions opened a door out of the son's psychological and spiritual prison. From that turning point the younger Levine began his own spiritual journey, starting with 12-step recovery and on to the meditation cushion, to monasteries in Asia and climactically back to the same juvenile hall where he was imprisoned, only this time to offer meditation instruction. This young-life drama plays out with a punk rock soundtrack, Levine having discovered, also at an early age, the vehicle of punk music to express vital energy. He uses a natural, conversational voice to relate his story, which makes it easier to maintain empathy not only for him but also for other troubled and benighted people-not all of whom live, as Levine has, to tell the tale of transformation. This honest, page-turning confession is also a measure of the adaptability and usefulness of the Asian tradition of Buddhism for the young and the restless of contemporary America.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
See all Editorial Reviews
"Buddhism and punk rock," writes former skate punk, drug addict, and petty thief and current Buddhist meditation instructor Noah Levine in his memoir Dharma Punx, "obviously have some huge differences." No argument there. "But," he continues, "for me they are both part of a single thread that has been stitched through every aspect of my life." Judging by Levine's childhood, it's amazing there's any salvageable material with which to stitch. He was suicidal at age five, smoking pot and drinking beer while crashing headlong into the Bay Area punk scene by the 8th grade, and in and out of jail as a wayward teen who stole VCRs from neighbors to finance a crack habit. After he hit bottom and embraced a Buddhist path similar to that endorsed by his father, author Stephen Levine, the trappings of his previous life were largely rejected. Except for the punk rock, which Levine channeled into a Buddhist worldview. The firs! t section of the book is harrowing as Levine details his descent into addiction and does so with a simple matter-of-fact approach that makes his tale all the more compelling. Levine is a potent central character, always sympathetic even when he's neither likable nor completely forgivable. Later sections lack the same impact and consist largely of travelogues of the author's journeys around the world in search of spiritual satisfaction along with attempts to reconcile the disparate worlds of punk and Buddhism. Nonetheless, it is satisfying to see Levine return to the juvenile halls where he was once incarcerated, this time as a counselor. While there is nothing especially unique about the literary genre of reformed addict memoir, it's a genre that rarely involves punk rockers or Buddhists. Levine's unique and skillfully related journey will appeal to punks, Buddhists, and anyone interested in the idea of redemption. --John Moe
From Publishers Weekly
Like father, like son: Levine, son of Buddhist teacher and author Stephen Levine, updates his father's path to enlightenment in this engaging memoir. The 32-year-old author spent his youth in what Buddhists would call the hell realm-here found in addictive drugs and alcohol and criminal behavior, beginning at age six with marijuana and culminating at age 17 with detoxification from alcohol in a padded cell in juvenile hall. His father's meditation instructions opened a door out of the son's psychological and spiritual prison. From that turning point the younger Levine began his own spiritual journey, starting with 12-step recovery and on to the meditation cushion, to monasteries in Asia and climactically back to the same juvenile hall where he was imprisoned, only this time to offer meditation instruction. This young-life drama plays out with a punk rock soundtrack, Levine having discovered, also at an early age, the vehicle of punk music to express vital energy. He uses a natural, conversational voice to relate his story, which makes it easier to maintain empathy not only for him but also for other troubled and benighted people-not all of whom live, as Levine has, to tell the tale of transformation. This honest, page-turning confession is also a measure of the adaptability and usefulness of the Asian tradition of Buddhism for the young and the restless of contemporary America.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
See all Editorial Reviews
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