American Zen by a Guy Who Tried It

First published in Woodnotes #29, Summer 1996, page 52.

American Zen by a Guy Who Tried It by Steve Sanfield. Larkspur Press, 1994, 40 pages, hand-sewn letterpress paperback, 6½ by 6 inches. $12.00 plus $2.00 for postage from Larkspur Press, 340 Sawdridge Creek West, Monterey, Kentucky 40359. Short poems, aphorisms, humor, haiku, senryu, and other playful observations populate this delightful commentary on “American Zen,” by a guy who obviously tried it. Here’s a sample, in the spirit of not taking anything too seriously, even (or especially) Zen:

Showing beginners how to sit

he notices

his own robes are inside out.