The book is a thing that exists

The Making of American Buddhism ships today! It is a thing that exists in the real world (whatever the “real” world may be). If you pre-ordered a copy, it might very well be on a truck heading to your home right now! The book is expensive — relatively speaking. Honestly, I’m rather surprised/happy that OUPContinue reading “The book is a thing that exists”

more updated social media stuff

Now that we’re a month away from the launch of The Book, I imagine I might be posting more on the internets. But it also occurred to me that over the last couple of months I haven’t really been engaging with social media much. The fact of the matter is that ever since Space KarenContinue reading “more updated social media stuff”

Let the shameless self-promotion begin

As something of a (not-really) non-sequitur, I follow a couple of different Buddhist studies groups over on the Facebook hell-site; very often, people post things about their work and start off those posts with (an obligatory?) “Sorry for the self-promotion…” I’ve often wondered about that. On the one hand, there’s something to be said aboutContinue reading “Let the shameless self-promotion begin”

Unconnected updates

Several things, unconnected to one another. It’s been well over a month since I posted something. The blog’s been on my mind. I am interested in fulfilling my desires from the beginning of the year to write more and write more often. But the last few months have been unexpectedly challenging. Full. Full is aContinue reading “Unconnected updates”

The book: the Making of American Buddhism

So I wrote a book. A book about Japanese American Buddhists in the 1950s & their possibility-making labor that helped make American Buddhism a thing. I came up with a title that’s exceedingly clever. And that title’s been nixed by my editor. A thread 🧵 and a plea for help 1/ — scott mitchell (@djbuddha)Continue reading “The book: the Making of American Buddhism”

Kisa Gotami

One of my favorite contributors to the Berkeley Bussei is Hiroshi Kashiwagi. I don’t talk about him nearly enough in The Book, but only because I don’t talk about anyone nearly enough. (Turned out to be not that kind of book, but that’s a different story.) But lucky for us, I can talk about himContinue reading “Kisa Gotami”

The Book: Mid-Century Modern Buddhism

As I’ve hinted at in several posts over the last six months, I wrote a book. (If anyone can find that version of the “this is fine” dog meme but he’s saying “I wrote a book,” please drop a link in the comments.) And I’ve promised more details. So, here they are. I wrote aContinue reading “The Book: Mid-Century Modern Buddhism”