Street Zen: The Life and Work of Issan Dorsey

Rating:
Summary: Heterosexual writes about gay man
Review: It's pretty hard to say anything terrible about Schneider's life of Issan Dorsey,called "Street Zen".I mean,who's going to argue with writing a biography about a crazy,lovable,druggie,drag queen turned Buddhist monk.Those of us in the Gay Buddhist Community call Schneider's book,"Straight Zen",because it's written for heterosexuals by a heterosexual.It's full of "outrageous" stories and over-the-top humor that's supposed to shock and tintillate the reader. Maybe it does it for heterosexuals,but for gay people its a real snore.For the last four years of his life,I lived and practiced Buddhism with Issan Dorsey, and Schneider's portrayal of him reeks of heterosexist bias.The author's main reason for writing this book seems to have been severe financial need.It certainly wasn't a desire to comunicate the essence of a modern Queer Buddhist Teacher.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: This work is so important to both the Buddhist community and anyone who has any inkling of how to create community. Isaan Dorsey was an example of the best teachings of Jesus and the best promises of Buddha. Kudos to David Schneider, et. al, for their exhaustive work and beautful tapestry. -TJ, Santa Fe, NM, USA