Big Sky Mind: Buddhism and the Beat Generation (Paperback)

by Carole Tomkinson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In the early '50s, Allen Ginsberg began to dabble in Buddhism on one coast while Jack Kerouac (with the help of Gary Snyder, the model for Kerouac's hero in The Dharma Bums) expanded on his Transcendentalist-based interest in Eastern religion on the other. In 1955, with Ginsberg's famous reading of "Howl" at Six Gallery in San Francisco, East and West came together. The poetry and prose of this anthology shows the beat movement as a direct link between Emerson and Thoreau and the "new consciousness" of Eastern philosophy, which places the power of the individual at the spiritual center of life. Though some have criticized the beats as armchair Buddhists with Western values, most of them took their study of Eastern religion seriously: meditating, reading scriptures and, in some cases, traveling to Japan and becoming disciples of monks. Through poetry, letters, journal entries, interviews and lectures, Tonkinson, former managing editor of Tricycle, traces not only the relationships between these seminal figures and their influence on other writers, but also their shared beliefs.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
The degree to which the Buddhist explorations of the Beat writers have pervaded American society and shaped the acceptance and development of that religion here has often been given a rather timid nod. This anthology, edited by Tonkinson, formerly of Tricycle magazine, serves to place the Beats and their influence in perspective. The volume takes from each writer only work that has a clear connection to Buddhist thought, hence a picture emerges of a well-developed, if occasionally naive, grasp of the central concepts of Buddhism in its various forms. Familiar names like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and Gary Snyder are well represented as are writers less well known; special sections are devoted to those who, while not considered part of the Beat movement, either influenced the Beats or were influenced by them. The result is a nicely organized collection that makes a convincing case for placing the Beats in the mainstream of any discussion of the coming of the dharma to the West. Highly recommended.?Mark Woodhouse, Elmira Coll. Lib.,
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 387 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Trade; Riverhead ed edition (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573225010
• ISBN-13: 978-1573225014
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #215,728 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buddhism and the Beat Generation, December 12, 2000

By	Rod L. Phillips (Wacousta, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This anthology makes a statement which has been needed for 50 years: the Beat Movement was at its core a spiritual quest. Beat poets and novelists of the 1950s hungered for something more satisfying than the mainstream Judeo-Christianity of Eisenhower's America. For many writers of the Beat era, this search for enlightenment brought them to Buddhism. Editor Carole Tonkinson has gathered together a terrific complilation of Beat writings on Buddhism, including major figures in the Beat canon such as Jack Kerouac, Gary Snyder, Michael McClure, and Philip Whalen. But more interestingly, she has also included texts by less well known Beats such as Lenore Kandel, Lew Welch, Albert Saijo, and Harold Norse. The introductory essay, by Stephen Prothero, does an excellent job of providing literary and historical background for the Beat movement's embrace of Eastern thought. Several excellent anthologies of Beat writing have been released in the last decade, but this one is the best for readers who want to understand the profoundly spiritual roots of this group of cultural rebels.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fresh angle on two cool topics!, April 29, 1997

By A Customer

Poets, buddhists and a lively history of how they mixed together. . . this is a great read for anyone who likes the beat poets OR the buddhist view of the world. There are details and connections and insights in this book that you won't find anywhere else

4.0 out of 5 stars If you love poetry and admire buddhism..., December 18, 2008

By	R. Williams (LA United States) - See all my reviews

Well, I growing more and more interested in Buddhism and had learned about the Beat poets, so I ordered this book. I actually, waited until I'd gotten a decent grasp on Buddhism (few courses and independent study) to really explore this book. I must admit I did read some of my favorite poets upon receiving it just to get a taste of what was in store.

But I was recommended this book by a creative writing teacher as an undergrad who said my work reminded him of the works included in this book. He read a few poems in class and that piqued my interest. Anyway, great book...Four stars only because it is an overview in my opinion and these cannot fully succeed by nature...