"Were it not for the Buddhadharma I'm convinced that, as a black American and an artist, I would not have been able to successfully negotiate my last half century of life in this country.”

Charles Johnson's National Book Award-winning masterpiece--"a novel in the tradition of Billy Budd and Moby-Dick ...heroic in proportion...fiction that hooks the mind" ( The New York Times Book Review )

Turning the Wheel: In this collection of provocative and intimate essays, Johnson writes of the profound connection between Buddhism and creativity, and of the role of Eastern philosophy in the quest for a free and thoughtful life. He looks at basic Buddhist principles and practices, demonstrating how Buddhism is both the most revolutionary and most civilized of possible human choices. Johnson moves from spiritual guides to spiritual nourishment: writing. In essays touching on the role of the black intellectual,Uncle Tom's Cabin, and Ralph Ellison, Johnson uses tools of Buddhist thinking to clarify difficult ideas. Powerful and revelatory, these essays confirm that writing and reading, along with Buddhism, are the basic components that make up a thoughtful life.

Moderator: George Tanabe

Speakers: Charles Johnson

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