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The novel opens with a lesbian S&M scene through which the author reveals a family history informed by tragedy and adversity so bizarre that the family believes they are cursed. The family history is told by Po, the youngest of three children born to the Childs'. The children grow up believing that deceased relatives make regular visits to the family to foretell the onset of happy or sad times. Uncle Ray is determined to kill himself and the family endures multiple failed attempts on his part to achieve his goal. Having grown up in an environment where ghosts abound and insanity flourishes, the children develop coping mechanisms that allow them to survive the family but lose themselves. From drug addiction to self-mutilation to family abandonment, the Childs' children attempt to cover up, or perhaps unleash, the pain of generations of trauma.

"Po Man's Child" accomplishes many things on many levels. The novel is steeped in supernatural beliefs and familial experiences that shape the lives of the characters in self-destructive ways. The story demonstrates how one's inability to challenge and resist beliefs that do not enrich their lives will only lead to destroying it. Blackman has written a highly symbolic, multi-layered narrative that informs and entertains. The writing is superb. The story is intense and expertly imagined. This is a fabulous debut novel by an extremely skilled and daring writer. I look forward to more of her work. Highly Recommended.

Po man's child is the story of Po who's a lesbian who at the beginning of the book has checked herself until a mental hospial. She also has problem with cutting herself all the time. The book is mostly Po thinking back while she is in the hospital of her youth, we meet her Uncle Ray who's always trying to kill hisself but is never successful, we also meet her brother who only wants to talk to his imaginary friends, her parents, and her grandmother. Po and her white lover Mary always like to play games with cutting themselves. You want want to miss reading this book, it is really good.

This complex and compelling first novel about pain in its many manifestations has incredible resonance - certainly an award-winning, worthwhile read!

I finished the book on a trip that I had to go on to Chicago. I know the people on the aircraft thought I had lost it. I have not enjoyed a book that much in a long time. I guess it could have something to do with knowing the guy that wrote it. I thought of my dad telling me about many of the things you talked about in the book. I can see you pulling some of the pranks and I can better understand why you dressed me down for not giving a test I made a 92 on a better effort. I will never forget you telling me that my southern roots would be both a hindrance and a help. I am now using them to be a positive.

Thanks for all the fun reading this great book.

Ed

LIVIN PO is an excellent and accurately descriptive book about life in the south during and shortly after the depression. Dr. Long's book brings back many vivid memories of that era. I enjoyed reading the true story of his family and I am thankful that circumstances have improved. H.Davis

Dr. Long's book should be read by all those who take our contemporary lifestyle for granted. Through his perseverance in working in union with family while suffering the indignities of poverty during the depression, he gives us a glimpse of the character of many of our ancestors which laid the basis for the strong values and motivation to succeed of the generation that followed. A well written and entertaining biography.

This is the very finest translation of Chinese poems I have seen. I have over one hundred books of translations of Chinese poets.

Hinton is able to catch the feel of a Zen religous life by a famous civil servant of the late Tang Dynasty. He captures the bitter sweet character of the life many Chinese poets chose where they were two totally different people -- mystics and civil servants. We can find few people in world history on which to model our lifes with more real depth than Po Chi I, Su Tung Po, and Wang Wei.

A Servant Girl Is Missing

From the low walls of our small courtyard to the notice-board outside our district gate,

I've searched and searched, ashamed our love proved meager, wishing I could do it all over.

But a caged bird can't bear a master for long, and the branch means nothing to a blossom

freed on the wind. Where can she be tonight? Only the moon's understanding light knows.

This was written in the 9th century C.E. by the famous Chinese Tang dynasty poet Po Chu-I. Po's beautiful lines are Taoist and Ch'an (Zen) Buddhist in influence, but something about them sings transcendent and is not easily categorized. Consider how much is contained in this poem: worry, a confession of wrongdoing, an admission of love, something about nature and the need for human freedom, and a tiny fragment of intuitive (mystic) insight when he adds: "Only the moon's understanding light knows." Whew! How did he do it, all carefully wrapped in deceptively simple rhyming couplets in the Chinese? I'm awed by this work, as I am by Po's modern English translator, David Hinton. This book is recently available in trade paperback by New Directions Publishing. Any of these Chinese poets (Hinton translates Meng Chiao and my favorite, T'ao Ch'ien, too, as well as others) will radically change your view of life, for theirs was a powerful and elegant civilization when Rome was still fighting off its hordes. These are beautiful, poignant, often sad, but very wise reflections about existence, metaphysics, and how to live a rich life.

I have to commend David Hinton's ability to change translation styles to match the style of the poets he translates. Po Chu-i's poetry is very simple and straightforward, and in response, Hinton sticks very close to the original Chinese in his translation. This works very well most of the time, but at times it is taken too far, and the gammar can seem awkward taken in English. Nevertheless, the essentially beauty of the poetry shines through, and the selection is well chosen. I would have preferred that the original Chinese be included, but this omission is unlikely to bother most readers. All in all, the collection is a credit both to poet and translator. I highly recommend it.

This is a rather imposing book, I have to say. It is certainly not for everyone, but will be of inestimable value to the right persons.

Its apparatus is divided into four sections: first an introductory section of 70+ pages written by the translator, Alexander Berzin. Second, the root text itself, entitled "A Root Text for the Precious Gelug/Kagyu Tradition of Mahamudra: The Main Road of the Triumphant Ones, by the First Panchen Lama, Lozang-choekyi-gyeltsen" (6 pages). Third, an oral commentary on the root text by H.H. the Dalai Lama (60+ pages). Fourth, an oral commentary on the First Panchen Lama's auto-commentary, again by H.H. the Dalai Lama (180+ pages). Lastly, prints of the root text in the Tibetan language.

Teachings on Mahamudra and Dzogchen are difficult to categorize. On the one hand, they are seen as the summit of Tibetan Buddhist practice. Dzogchen is the ultimate practice, the essence of the practices, in the Nyingma tradition; and similarly Mahamudra is here taught as a very high-level practice closely related to the completion stage of the anuttarayoga tantras. On the other hand, Mahamudra and Dzogchen are also taught to beginners as a way to quickly see into the nature of mind. This does _not_ mean that they are "easy" or "simple" practices, as Berzin stresses; he notes that to speak of them in such a way is to disparage them - a terrible thing to do.

The First Panchen Lama himself points out this tension in the root text, where he notes: "The great meditators of the snow mountains are practically of a single opinion in proclaiming that this is a guideline indicating how to forge a state of Buddhahood. Be that as it may, I, Choekyi-gyeltsen, say that this is a wondrous skillful means for beginners to accomplish the settling of their mind and is a way that leads you to recognize [merely] the conventional nature of mind that conceals something deeper."

In other words, one can engage in Mahamudra practice as a beginner to see the conventional nature of mind. Later, one can use the practice to see the ultimate (empty) nature of mind.

Berzin's excellent introduction will prepare practitioners somewhat for the root text and the commentaries by His Holiness. That being said, a few recommendations... (1) Repeated readings will be beneficial, since Berzin's introduction, although easy to read, can be a bit unclear at times. (2) Memorize the root text. It is only 6 pages. It is very important in practice to keep in mind the instructions of the teacher. To memorize the root text was the instruction of my teacher, and although it may seem laborious, it is of unquestionable value. Treat it as a preliminary practice, or to help you in the development of shamatha. (3) Study this text with an experienced practitioner/teacher. If you just pick up this book, but never receive any teachings on mahamudra from a teacher, your progress may be slow.

Good luck - don't give up!!!

These brilliant discourses by H.H. the Dalai Lama are among the clearest and most detailed teachings on Mahamudra available in English. They explain the complete path to realization of Mahamudra practice, from the preliminary practices on through the development of calm abiding and the methods for meditating on emptiness and the nature of the mind. This book would give anyone an excellent introduction to Mahamudra meditation and philosophy, but the detailed explanations would make it of particular interest to those who are actually doing the practices.

Intermediate Chinese provides clear and concise explainations of Mandarin grammer. Explainations and examples are especially well suited to native English speakers, and far clearer than most other Mandarin grammer books that I have encountered. Example sentences use both Pin Yin and Simplified Characters making reading much easier. This book has been an essential companion to my study of Mandarin.

I must start off by admitting that the author of this book is one of my teachers (at Leeds University) and he is a very lovely and enthusiastic man. But this isn't just a personal endorsement of Dr.Yip: this book is really very useful indeed. Whether you work through the chapters systematically (which I have done when revising for exams) or just dip into random chapters to clear up grammar problems, you'll find this book indispensable. I think the examples are relevant, and the explanations both clear and comprehensible (unlike other Chinese grammars I could mention - any of the Beijing University Press ones are shockingly bad). This book is tops - it's getting me through my Chinese degree almost painlessly!

An authoritative, if somewhat dry, presentation of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition from a Tibetan perspective. I have instigated the use of this book in a study group setting, in which people agreed to read a particular chapter and topic ahead of time. It was very useful in giving people an opportunity to bring their understanding and misunderstandings to the surface, to be clarified (or at least narrowed!) by discussion with others.

This is an excellent book presenting the stages of the Mahayana path to all those interested in Buddhism. Written in the 1100's by Gampopa, a great Kagyu scholar, it is invaluable to all beginners and especially to those on the path. This book never gets old, and you can always use it as you proceed on the path. A wonderful achievement in spiritual literature, and a great gift to the English reader who does not have the ability to read the original Tibetan text.

Dale Wright has engaged with the Zen Buddhist tradition with a powerful and sophisticated hermanuetic analysis. Based on Blofield's influential translation of Huang Po's Transmission of Mind he delivers a masterful exploration of Zen thinking. Zen's traditional claims to transcending words and concepts is closely scrutinized. Wright cleverly uses the Buddhist concept of dependent origination to add a further explanatory dimension to the role of language and its context in reading and understanding Zen. He rightly points out that Zen Buddhism is deeply intwined with language and that whilst Zen Koans are presentations of extra-ordinary human experience, their oddness is not meaningless cryptic, but instrumental in communicating insight gained through meditative practice using ordinary language in non-ordinary ways. The book challenges romantic and historicist conceptions of Zen which hold to something like a universial "spirit" or experience which transcends historic time and location. And it challenges the disembodied "objective" analysis of scientific approaches which set upon "facts" and "historical data" as though they can be simply "read" without reflection on the frames of interpretation of the observer. Instead Wright exposes the reader to an important dimension of reflexivity which comes with a post-modern sensibility. Zen emerges the wiser, without a romantic and naive sense of transcendence and a firmer understanding of importance of understanding the historical context of Zen writing. We are also reminded of how our own modern context colours how we make sense of Zen as well as nonsense of it.

My sense is that this book it is a major landmark in the meeting between Western Philosophy and Buddhism. The complexity of the hermanuetic circle of understanding something like Zen, I suspect, means we have many more rounds to go. My sense is that, like Zen, this complexity trangresses the boundaries of language in ways we are yet to grasp. Zen's lack of reflexivity and historic resistence to critical reflection are great limitations, and yet western linguistics too does not fully appreciate how words themselves can be brimming with emptiness. There is work to be done on both sides and hopefully this book will serve as the basis for a mutually beneficial dialogue.

Overall, Dale Wright has written an important piece in understanding the rich vein of knowledge that Zen inquiry uncovers. It links into to new developments in the cognitive sciences which, as the late Francisco Varela suggests, opens up a door to a new mode of human experience that has hardly been explored in the West. Wright explains how our language, not only needs to develop in radical ways to meet this marvelousness Zen experience, but even just to begin the inquiry. It is essential reading for anyone taking eastern philosophy seriously.

If you have wondered WHY you are "reading Zen" sutras or koans, your spirits will be lifted with optimism by the first 40 pages of this book. You are doing more good than you realized. This book is a freight train full of provocative and attractive ideas about the relationship of study to practice. If you have been practicing Zen for more than a year, get this book and re-read once a year. Even if you disagree with it, it can agitate your point of view beneficially.

The text is marvelously well structured, building up to the argument of the final chapter and Conclusion. Good clear writing. No academic gobbledegook here.

Of the hundreds of books on Zen out there, this one does a classy job in communicating the wordless/mindless Zen. Although it is not an introductory book, one may wish to read it anyway later, after one has had an introduction to Zen. A once in lifetime/s book :-) and don't be deceived by the small size !

Once again a deceptively small book furnishes us with uncontainable amounts of wisdom for us lucky readers! Of all the ancient Zen masters - Huang Po, Lin Chi, and Joshu are mandatory as far as studying goes. Huang Po was in actual fact Lin Chi's teacher. In this book you will hear the famous 'One Mind' discourses, which are to say the very least mind-blowing. On the whole, he discusses how there are two types of people practicing Buddhism at one point in this work. Those taking the route of cognition, and those relying on their innate nature. Now, let's not place significance of one method over the other, but needless to say the latter is in the minority. This, in essence, is Zen Buddhism. Asking the questions for yourself while not simply being a gobbling fish.

Get the book. It's a must have.

There may be no way to "say" the unsayable, and Huang Po's most celebrated student went on to not say it masterfully, beginning what became the Rinzai school. But if you want to experience perhaps the clearest, most accessible attempt at saying it, try John Blofield and Huang Po. The book is so disarmingly clear that one may believe one has "gotten it." Maybe it was just this (misleading) clarity that pushed Lin Chi into his famous antics.

This book is a Red-Riding Hood Story from China but, unlike other versions I've seen, this time it is the mother who goes off to see Grandma and the three daughters are left home alone. I liked how this story showed that the three sisters could work together to save themselves from the wolf, It also shows children how being impatient can get you into a lot of trouble. My favorite part of the book was the illustrations and it is easy to understand why it won the Caldecott Medal. These illustrations are very reminiscent of Chinese watercolors or chalk drawings; they have a very soft and wispy feeling to them. The author is not only a good writer but a good illustrator as well since he was able to perform both of these functions with as much skill as he has talent.

Lon Po Po is a 1990 Children's Choice Book. This is a Chinese version of the traditional story of Little Red Riding Hood. Three sisters, Shang, Tao, and Paotze must defend themselves against a frightening wolf while their mother is gone visiting their grandmother for her birthday. Lon Po Po is an excellent book with amazing illustrations, which are a combination of abstract and realistic shadowy images. Second and third graders could enjoy reading the fairy tale, a popular genre of young readers. While different from the traditional story of Little Red Riding Hood, children will enjoy trying to predict what will happen next. I feel that teachers will find this book as enjoyable as children and consider it a high quality piece of literature. It is well written and illustrated.

In Lon PO PO there are three girls their mother leaves to see their grandmother. Then there is a knock at the door. It is a wolf that looks like their grandmother. They think the wolf is their grandmother. Read this book to see what happens next.

A good book that could have been better. It does not provide a Chinese text. Besides this, more extensive notes would have been useful. For example, in "Ch'ang-Kan Village Song," the wife says, "I'm not saying I'd go far to meet you, no further than Ch'ang-feng Sands." It would have been nice to know that Ch'ang-Kan was about two hundred miles downstream from Ch'ang-feng Sands. More serious is that note to the poem that states Ezra Pound "translated" this poem. Actually, Ezra Pound could not read Chinese when he wrote his version of the poem, but relied upon the writings of Ernest Fenollosa, who also could not read Chinese and relied upon Japanese scholars. Despite all this, the book does provide an enjoyable glimse of a Tang dynasty Dylan Thomas (at least as far as wine goes).

This review is meant for those who may not read a lot of poetry or are still wondering about this book after reading other reviews.

Simply put, Li Po was so good, that he was even thought of as god like. He and Tu Fu are thought of as the greatest eastern poets that have ever lived, and being that they both lived around 700 AD that is very high praise. His words are moving and deeply stirring, and though he lived in such an isolated area so very long ago, his words still have great meaning now, no matter where your from or what your culture.

Filled with Zen and philosophy, this book is a great way of spending the day.

"The birds have vanished from the sky, and now the last clouds slip away. We sit alone, the mountain and I, until only the mountain remains."

A great painter, that leaves you thinking. Get this book!

Li Po( a.k.a. Le Pih, Ly Pe, Li Tai-pe) brandishes a simple albeit powerful elegance with his gift of the written word.Bringing to mind the vast panoramic expanses and the soothing beauty of ancient China he will transport you to a splendid land of dreams.In his verse you will be reminded that mankind of all nationalities still relive the same emotions, the same issues over 1000 years later.Delicate and fragile as the cherry blossom in places, tainted and grotesque as a Foo dog in others. I don't own this particular copy. My copy was published in 1928 and translated by Shigeyoshi Obata. It also is more inclusive of Li Po's work. Reading from it always sends an electric thrill through my nerves. Truly one of the Earth's greatest poets ever to breath. "I saw the moonlight before my couch, And wondered if it were not the frost on the ground. I raised my head and looked out on the mountain moon; I bowed my head and thought of my far-off home."