One Blade of Grass

July 15, 2019
Buddhist and poet Shukman (Archangel) shares his journey into Zen in this stirring but slow-moving memoir. Shukman reflects on key moments of his life to unpack his emotions and frustrations, opening with the dual traumas during his youth of his parents’ divorce and his extreme eczema. Later, while traveling in South America, he experienced a confusing and profound spiritual moment he could not explain. In the ensuing years, he attempted to recreate it with transcendental meditation before trying Zen meditation. He recounts his fitful attempts at practice and breakthroughs alongside his romantic experiences and professional travel writing assignments. Initially, Shukman yearned for enlightenment, but resisted taking the step of dedicating himself as a monk. He eventually attaches to the Sanbo Kyodan lineage and progresses by working through the traditional koans. He closes with the beginnings of his time as a teacher at Mountain Cloud Zen Center in New Mexico. While Shukman’s lovely prose excavates his past to reveal evocative feelings tied to his fears of inadequacy, the overly deliberate narrative tends to drag as he lingers on mundane details and events for too long. This memoir will resonate most with readers wanting to understand the slow, rocky process of practicing Zen. Agent: Anne Edelstein, Anne Edelstein Literary.