Urthona  Back Issue

'American Dreams'
A TASTE FOR THE UNEXPECTED
Issue (21) released January 2005

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Awake: William S. Kowinski on a western U.S. consortium exploring connections between Art, Buddhism and the dimensions of consciousness
	Mind Mirror: Buddha at the Movies Gary Gach gives a Buddhist perspective to an interaction with film
We're wise apples: Interview with Michael McClure, one of the original Beat poets
	Chögyam Trungpa: discovering elegance What is 'Dharma Art'? And how to discover elegance in everyday life
An appetite for elegance Leslie McCormick describes 'deepening into intimacy with experience' through Dance/Movement Therapy at Boulder's Naropa University
	The koan of dream Susan Murphy Roshi explores the common territory between dream and koan practice

Features

	New Poetry Chase Twichell
	International Arts News Andy Goldsworthy, new Buddha for the British Museum, China exhibition at the Met., Buddhist film festivals, Rubin Museum
	The banality of evil Winton Higgins on a Buddhist response to the Holocaust
	New Poetry Chase Twichell
	New Poetry Ananda
	New Poetry Mary Clark and Manjusvara
	Aloka interview Aloka talks about his work painting Buddhist images for meditators
	New Poetry Linda Saunders
	First Loves Michael Attwood on Frank Zappa - the idol of his teens

Reviews

	Troy Ed Piercy reviews an epic movie of the epic poem
	Balanchine AkasadNa on a remarkable choreographer
	Judith Beveridge Barry Hill reviews Beveridge's latest poetry collection
	Neil Astley Ratnagarbha reviews 'Being Alive', a new poetry anthology
	'Austerlitz' by W.G. Sebald Abhaya reviews a novel of the Holocaust

Contributors

Michael McClure Michael was of the original Beat poets, along with Gary Snyder and Allen Ginsberg. He co-wrote the Janis Joplin hit 'Mercedes Benz', was literary mentor to Jim Morrison of The Doors, and tours with The Doors' keyboardist Ray Manzarek. Recently he's taken up Zen sitting practice.	Susan Murphy Susan Murphy is a Zen Roshi and an award-winning filmmaker and writer based in Sydney, Australia. Susan's Zen teaching is focused through the koan tradition but also includes artistic practice, dreamwork, and exploring the resonance of the Dharma in Australia with Aboriginal spirituality.
Chögyam Trungpa Chögyam Trungpa was one of the first Tibetan teachers to settle in the West, and one of the first to present the~ Dharma in terms of the artistic life. He was the author of many books, including 'Cutting Through Spiritual Materiaiism' and 'Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior'.	Aloka Aloka lives in Norwich, UK and divides his time between painting Buddhist devotional images (Thankas) to commission and his own more abstract work. A senior member of the Western Buddhist Order and inspiration to many, he has often led events at Padmaloka retreat centre on the themes of devotional practice and the mythic realm.
Chase Twichell Chase Twichell is one of America's leading poets. She lives in the Adirondack Mountains, the setting of her Zen-inspired collection 'The Snow Watcher'. She is founder and editor of Ausable Press.	Gary Gach Gary Gach is author of six books, including 'The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Buddhism'. His anthology 'What Book!? - Buddha Poems from Beat to Hiphop' was honoured with an American Book Award. He's recentb co-translated from Korean three forthcoming books by Ko Un.

A TASTE FOR THE UNEXPECTED Shantigarbha introduces the different faces of this special issue on American Dreams When Michael McClure came over to London last Summer I was fortunate enough to catch up with him. Michael was of the original Beat poets, along with Gary Snyder and Allen Ginsberg. He tells me how the Beat Movement led to Zen on p.l3. Chögyam Trungpa was one of the first Tibetan teachers to settle in the West and one of the first to present the Dharma in terms of the artistic life. His thoughts on 'Dharma Art' appear on p. 18, and include a Dharmic critique of certain aspects of modern, westernized life. And dancer Leslie McCormick explores Trungpa's notion of 'Elegances in her course at Boulder's Naropa University on p.22. How has Buddhism influenced film - the most popular medium of the last (and this) century? Gary Gach explores how film itself can be seen as Buddhist, and Buddhist film, on p.8. Recently there have been two North American movements exploring the role of Buddhism in contemporary Arts. On the East Coast there was 'The Buddhism Project'. on the West Coast 'Awake: Art, Buddhism and the Dimensions of Consciousness has attracted names such as Mark Epstein, Bill Viola and Laurie Anderson, and initiated a surprisingly large and varied selection of exhibitions, seminars and performances. You'll find 'Awake' on p.4. From Australia comes a reflection on the nature of the Dream state and its similarities to Zen koan practice. 'The koan of dream' appears on p.26. Elsewhere in this issue you'll find two more fascinating interviews: contemporary British thangka painter Aloka examines his experience of Art as participation on p.49 and Australian Buddhist Winton Higgins talks about the effect of the Holocaust on his practice on p.34. After ten years of involvement, I'm planning to move on from Urthona. I've had difficulties with my sight and I want to spend more time sharing Nonviolent Communication - exploring how to get everybody's needs met! I've loved working on Urthona it's brought me great riches. I'd like to thank all of you: the rest of the team, our authors, and our readers over the years for your support and inspiration! As a parting gift to the magazine, I would love to put Urthona on a sound financial footing. To this end I'm looking for 25 new Friends of Urthona. Friends support the magazine at the rate of £5.00 per month or £60 per year ($40 annually). Would you be willing to do this? If you would, please contact me at the Editorial address by end of January 2005. Warmly, Shantigarbha Special thanks to: Punyaketu, Padmadhara, Upeksaka.