Recent review of American Zen: A Gathering of Poets

American Zen: A Gathering of Poets (Bottom Dog Press, 2004) features the work of thirty Zen-inspired poets, from veterans Seido Ray Ronci, Jane Hirshfield and Andrew Schelling to newer faces on the scene, such as Shin Yu Pai and Paul Skyrm. Editors Larry Smith and Ray McNiece include a selection of four or five poems by each contributor, a biographical sketch and a personal statement from the author about his or her relationship to Zen Practice. The poems, with tiles like “on the galloping cusp of the new now” and “Old Monks Drinking” are evocative and witty, often filled with a sense of the poignancy and sensuality of the present moment. The introduction provides a brief overview of Zen Buddhism in America and describes the American Zen poetry as a movement of poets—beginning with the Beats—who experimented with a Japanese aesthetic and were inspired by Buddhist truths.
– Holly Gayley, in Buddhadharma (winter 2004)

(footnote - Holly Gayley is an amazing dharma teacher who works closely with the Shambhala community in Boston and is a PhD student in religious studies at Harvard U.)