A fascinating account of one Zen teacher's journey to Buddhism--from a drug-addicted drag queen to beloved spiritual teacher and abbot.
TENSHO DAVID SCHNEIDER began Zen practice in 1970 and was ordained as a Zen priest in 1977. He held the position of acharya (senior teacher) in the Shambhala International community from 1996 to 2019. He is coeditor with Kazuaki Tanahashi of Essential Zen, and author of Crowded by Beauty- The Life and Zen of Poet Philip Whalen. He lives in Cologne, Germany.
“Street Zen is about much more than the life of Issan
Dorsey—it is an exploration of how the material of our whole lives
can be used as fuel for awakening. Issan teaches us that
becoming a Bodhisattva means learning how to hold compassionate
space for the process of becoming who we need to be in order to set
others free. Bodhisattvas emanate to meet the needs of those of us
lost in the sea of delusion. Issan’s life is a profound and timely
expression for so many of us who do not see ourselves reflected in
dharma communities.”—Lama Rod Owens, author of Love and
Rage and coauthor of Radical Dharma
“This is a fantastic book about a character I have long wanted
to make a film about. A devastating life, and a heroic
conclusion.”—Gus Van Sant, director of Good Will Hunting and
Milk
“A memorable account of an extraordinary man, unlike anyone I have
ever known, whose life was full of strangeness, simplicity, and
grace.”—Joan Halifax, author of Being with Dying and Standing at
the Edge
“A fascinating book. I think Issan’s story contributes
significantly to the history of the gay community and its response
to AIDS, as well as to the history of Buddhism in America.”—Randy
M. Shilts, author of And the Band Played On and Conduct
Unbecoming
“Well-researched, cleanly written . . . It details an amazing man
and adds to our knowledge of gay history, Buddhist history, and
AIDS activist history. . . . [O]verall, Street Zen is a wonderful
tribute to a unique and heroic individual.”—Lambda Book Report
“Schneider . . . presents an even-handed account of Dorsey’s
extraordinary life and death . . . It gives a clear handling of
the paradox that was Dorsey and the great compassion that he
embodied.”—Library Journal
“A wonderful book I return to when I want to have my old roommate
and dharma pal Tommy Issan Dorsey back again to remind me to slow
down and enjoy life. Thanks to David Schneider for this soulful
biography.”—David Chadwick, author of Crooked Cucumber: The Life
and Zen Teaching of Shunryu Suzuki
“A crisp, candid, and utterly engaging read . . . an excellent
addition to the still early annals of American Buddhism.”—San
Francisco Chronicle
“A biography of remarkable power and grace, it offers a striking
model for the flourishing of Buddhism in America.”—Jeff Zaleski,
editor-in-chief, Parabola
“Religious history rings with tales of converted libertines—Saul,
St. Augustine, Thomas Merton among them. Now, thanks to this
wonderfully uplifting biography by freelance journalist Schneider,
to that list can be added Issan Dorsey—the thieving, doping,
female-impersonating gay hooker who became abbot of one of the
nation’s top Zen monasteries.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A fascinating account of the life and death of an extraordinary
teacher who was also a pioneer in the ‘engaged Buddhism’ that seems
bound to be the way of American Zen.”—Peter Matthiessen
“An inside look at Zen masters, their sublimity, scandals, and
humanity, a tearful chronicle of home-grown American Buddhist
heroism.”—Allen Ginsberg
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