Project Description

In this transnational exploration of sacred in American landscape, Tina Hao turned to the poetry of Gary Snyder ⎯ an American poet, Zen Buddhist, mountaineer, philosopher, and environmentalist ⎯ for guidance. Snyder spent many years in China and Japan studying Zen Buddhism and translating its literature into English from ancient Chinese and Japanese texts. His work, in its various roles, reflects a total immersion in spirituality and nature. But perhaps most important, Snyder’s attempt to find the scared in the everyday, transcends religious beliefs and national boundaries.