In Lawrence Shainberg's lifelong pursuit of both writing and Zen practice, three of his friends represented important aspects of his experience. As Shainberg recounts here, the audacious, combative Norman Mailer becomes a symbol for the Buddhist concept of "form," while the elusive and self-deprecating Samuel Beckett seems to embody an awareness of "emptiness." Through it all is Kyudo Nakagawa, the earthy, direct Zen master challenging Shainberg to let go of his endless rumination and accept reality as it is.

"Shainberg's enlightening memoir about three transformative relationships is accessible, deceptively simple, and wise."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)