Each day counting down to the announcement of the Minnesota Book Awards, we highlight one of the thirty-two finalists. Today we feature 2015 Memoir and Creative Nonfiction finalist James P. Lenfestey.
A Poet’s Pilgrimage
Seeking the Cave: A Pilgrimage to Cold Mountain by James P. Lenfestey
Published by: Milkweed Editions
Category sponsored by Northwestern Mutual:
This fascinating memoir documents Lenfestey’s journey to Japan and China in 2006. Motivated by the work of a T’ang Dynasty poet, he chronicles his trek to China’s Han-shan, or Cold Mountain, to pay tribute to the writer who retreated there and took its name. Combining travelogue, literary history, and spiritual journey, Seeking the Cave provides a perceptive view of Chinese culture while recounting the meeting of these two poets.
About the author:
An award-winning academic, advertising executive, and journalist, James P. Lenfestey has published four full poetry collections and a book of personal essays. He is currently the chair of the Literary Witnesses poetry series and lives in Minneapolis. Visit his website.
The reviews are in:
“James Lenfestey’s lighthearted approach, poet’s attention to detail and genuine passion for the poems of Han-shan bring the narrative far beyond essential archetypes of the Far East. Rather than chasing some abstract idea of what he will find in China, Lenfestey is on a journey to pay tribute to one of his chief influences, poet to poet, across continents and centuries.” —StarTribune
“…Full of vivid characters and poetry and coincidence, delivered against the landscapes of a foreign culture, Jim Lenfestey’s delightful story of pilgrimage to the source of Cold Mountain’s poetry possesses great bravado, attentiveness and honesty. This book is just the right size, neither too much nor too little, as the Taoists would say, and it has an unlabored, natural feel that is characteristic of the marvelous Chinese poetry it pays homage to.”—Tony Hoagland
Links:
Cold Mountain: A Documentary by Mike Hazard
Fireside Reading Series Podcast: James Lenfestey and Wang Ping
Join us at the Awards Gala!
Award winners will be announced at the 27th Annual Minnesota Book Awards Gala on Saturday, April 18 at the historic St. Paul Union Depot. The opening reception begins at 7 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50 and are available by visiting www.thefriends.org/gala.
Have you read Seeking the Cave? What are your thoughts? We welcome your comments!