Peter Muryo Matthiessen Roshi, a successor of Bernie Glassman Roshi in our White Plum lineage, was awarded the prestigious National Book Award in New York last night for his novel « Shadow Country, » a revision of a trilogy published in the 1990s.
A marvelous honor for a marvelous writer, who, at 81, is one of the greatest in modern American letters.
Having won the nonfiction prize for « The Snow Leopard » 30 years ago, Peter reportedly held up his trophy last night at the ceremony and said, « I’m back! » before turning to his far younger fellow finalists and saying, « You will be back, too. »
A true man of no rank.