TUSCALOOSA, AL - Norman Fischer, a poet and Zen Buddhist priest, will be on the University of

Alabama campus on Tuesday, Sept. 9, and Wednesday, Sept. 10, to talk about his most recent book,

“Sailing Home: Using the Wisdom of Homer’s Odyssey to Navigate Life’s Pitfalls and Perils”.

• September 9 - Talk, discussion, & book signing. “Sailing Home” - A Buddhist reading of the Odyssey 4:00 pm in 205 Gorgas
• September 9 - Poetry Reading
• 7:30 pm in the Bama Theatre on Greensboro Ave.
• September 10 - Meditation session (space is limited RSVP 205-348-7884)
• 9:00 am in the Riverside Community
• September 10 - Brown Bag Lunch Discussion with Meditation and Writing
• 12:00 noon to1:30 pm in 301 Morgan Hall
• September 10 - Community Conversation - What do Buddhists believe? What does Zen
• Meditation involve? An opportunity to engage a practicing Buddhist in conversation.
• 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm Crossroads Community Center Lounge in the Ferguson Center

ABOUT NORMAN FISCHER

Zoketsu Norman Fischer is a poet and Zen Buddhist priest. For many years he has taught at the San

Francisco Zen Center, the oldest and largest of the new Buddhist organizations in the West, where

he served as Co-abbot from 1995-2000. He is presently a Senior Dharma Teacher there as well as the

founder and spiritual director of the Everyday Zen Foundation, an organization dedicated to

adapting Zen Buddhist teachings to Western culture.

A person of unusually wide-ranging interests, his Zen teaching is known for its eclecticism, openness,

warmth, and common sense, and for his willingness to let go of everything, including Zen. His chief

interests in addition to poetry and traditional Zen and Buddhist teachings, are the adaptation of Zen

meditation and understanding to the worlds of business, law, conflict resolution, interreligious dialog

(he works especially with Jewish meditation and Catholic intermonastic dialog), care of the dying (he

has for many years been a teacher with and is emeritus chair of the board of the Zen Hospice

Project), the world of technology, and anything else he can think of.

Norman was a member of a lively group of Bay Area poets in the 70’s and 80’s, and participated

widely in readings, publications, and poetry performances during those years. He’s collaborated with

musicians and dancers to create at Green Gulch pageants for Buddha’s Birthday and Parinirvana Day

(Buddha’s death day), annual events that have become San Francisco Bay Area institutions. He has

often participated with the Beat Generation poets, especially Phil Whalen, Gary Snyder, and Michael

McClure, close friends and mentors of his.

Bands, Art, and Books! 205-533-8445 for info.

• Checking Balance (end of month)             $1,262.00

• Debt (end of month)      $41,770.55

• In-Store sales (for the month)   $1,279.20

• Sales Tax (9%)   $115.13

• In-Store sales minus sales tax     $1,164.07

• Co-Op Sharing (75% in-store sales minus sales tax)           $873.05

• Total Expenses  $2,410.36

• On-line sales revenue (deposits during month) $1,361.64

• Event Revenue (not including book sales during events)               $40.00

• Other Revenue $0.00

• Total Revenue   $2,680.84

• Profit/Loss (for the month)         $270.48

• Debt Service      $1,200.00

Dude, a major invasion! An estimated 150 or so warm bodies made it into the space last night. Hosted by Tina Harris, readings by Harris, Jim Murphy, Glenny Brock, Laura Hendrix, Cassie Snider and Zach Plague w/ special performance by Jamie Lawrence of ACT-  added yet another layer of poetic  history to the alley. Thanks to Mike and the GB Volunteer Fire Starters. Anybody got some pix?

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 Come by and pick up yer surprise! Call us 205-533-8445.

A great upcoming event at The University of Alabama:

19th Century Pocket Diaries & their Diarists — Exploring content, technology & anatomy of selected diaries from the W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library’s Manuscript Collections”

Friends of the W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library

Reception and presentation Tuesday, October 7 at 6:00pm

Where: Hoole Special Collections Library, The University of Alabama

That really rocked and socked and tasted better than chicken. Thanks to everyone who put in their two cents and/or two arms/legs. We pulled in nearly $700 in cash that night, mostly from concessions and tips.We only cleared a hundred bucks or so (after accounting for buying beverages, supplies, renting sound equipment, giving gas money to bands, tipping bouncer, etc.) but we drew in a completely new and unique crowd who now know that GB exists and more. Michael did a great job of organizing the bands, promoting, and sweating lots of details.We had a solid show of volunteer support at the event, minding the door and checking IDs (Tara, Rachel G, David), running concessions(Rachel M, Daniel, David, Russell), selling books and answering questions (everybody), and even running out to fetch wads of ones when we ran out of change (Johnny and Gwendolyn). Thanks to Laura and Craig for helping get ready that day and Mike for running around with Russell picking up last minute items. Amy sent her husband down to tohelp out with invisible security and dropped by around 2 a.m. to show some moral support. Overall folks loved the show and loved the space….and we had a great second ever group thinker at the space on Sunday. We discussed what we could manage to discuss before a silent wind swept in and said that’s enough. A few notes: We voted to cancel the Obama event. No one volunteered to coordinate an alternate event.However we are still open to suggestions. The idea of a general town hall meeting that uses the upcoming election as a springboard to examine social issues is an idea of interest. We just need someone  to take the lead. Ideally we do not want to promote a particular candidate or get caught up in the froth of what passes as political action via established, dysfunctional systems. We do want to promote change, generate conflict (the enzyme of change), stymie ignorance,and overwhelm stupidity.After driving all night back to Kentucky my mind is a bit a blank so if you were at the meeting and can remember what we discussed and have a minute, summarize it and send an email to this list. The patio, the co-op model, book donations, and upcoming events were other items discussed.If you know anyone who is in the bands that played let them know we appreciate their involvement.

To see a list of upcoming events in chronological order, click on the Calendar link to the right and then click on the Agenda tab of the calendar. 

Check out the poster, a collector’s item… 

8 p.m., August 30, Saturday only. Silky Snowflake, Yakuza Dance Mob, Legion. 4 bucks. Proceeds benefit acquisition of zines for Info Shop.