Rev. Danny Fisher

[This post has been updated as of 5:35 p.m. EST on 11.20.08.]

Another good catch today from the great Phil Ryan at the Tricycle Editors’ Blog: American writer, naturalist, and Zen Buddhist priest Peter Muryo Matthiessen has won the very prestigious National Book Award for Shadow Country, a “new rendering” of his Watson trilogy. Matthiessen, who was ordained through the White Plum Asanga, lineage of the late Taizan Maezumi Roshi, has authored at least two books that will be of special interest to Buddhist practitioners: The Snow Leopard and Nine-Headed Dragon River: Zen Journals, 1969-1982. You can also read his talk “The Coming of Age of American Zen,” delivered at the Boston Park Plaza for the 1996 Buddhism in America conference, in Brian Hotchkiss and Al Rappaport’s Buddhism in America: Proceedings of the First Buddhism in America Conference.

Poet Maxine Hong Kingston, another Buddhist, also received an honorary award from the National Book Foundation. A student of Thich Nhat Hanh’s, she contributed to his book For a Future to Be Possible: Commentaries on the Five Mindfulness Trainings and wrote the introduction to Sister Chan Khong’s book Learning True Love: Practicing Buddhism In A Time of War. In addition, she serves on the Advisory Council of the Buddhist Film Society, Inc.

Via the great Phil Ryan over at the Tricycle Editors’ Blog: BioGraphical Novels’ first project, BioGraphic Novel: The 14th Dalai Lama, which was created by Tetsu Saiwai, a Japanese manga artist, has recently been published. It’s a manga biography of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, made with the support and cooperation of the office of His Holiness’ liason to Japan and East Asia. The publisher has more books on the way, including one about Aung San Suu Kyi. You can order a copy here, and look at a sample of the book below.

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In his post about The Level 8 Buddhist‘s reflection on “Buddhism and gay marriage,” Lawrence Grecco at The Wheel of Dharma points us to a piece by Jōdo Shinshū priest William Briones, who officiated at the recent wedding of former Star Trek cast member George Takei to his longtime partner Brad Altman. The piece, entitled “Equality for All”, starts on page 2 of the latest issue of Wheel of Dharma–the official publication of the Buddhist Churches of America.

Radio host Krista Tippett remembers Studs Terkel by replaying a 2005 interview with the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and activist at Speaking of Faith. This is great interview well worth your time. Give it a listen.

Read Amnesty International’s latest press release on the Georgia-Russia conflict here.