Big Sky Mind: Buddhism and the Beat Generation

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...

I have had this book for years and it goes everywhere with me. It's got some great poems in it, some that are humorous and some that are inspiring.

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.

it guided me, moved me, changed me like nothing you can imagin. the beat generation (esp. kerouac) have helped me find my place in world that isnt tailored tword individuals. anyone who liked the work of any of the beat poets should read this.

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