Gary Snyder

Gary Snyder was one of the original Beat poets, and along with Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and Alan Watts helped to shape modern poetry and to fuel the cultural revolution of the 1960's. His spiritual and literary explorations of the fifties and sixties led him to study Zen Buddhism, which he practices to this day. His sprituality and respect for Nature sound throughout his work. He is currently a member of the faculty at the University of California at Davis.

This quote is from an essay entitled "Coming in to the Watershed". It demonstrates his life-long commitment to the environment and nature, starting years ago when he and Kerouac sought satori in the heights of the Sierras. It also ties into his concern for human beings and their physical and spiritual connections to the natural world. Finally, it illustrates his interest in community as a force in both natural and human relationships. The quote sets the theme for this web site's exploration of those concepts and their connection to our past, present, and future. "Coming in to the Watershed" and other collected essays will be available in print as "A Place in Space" from Counterpoint Press, sometime in the fall of '95 .

Photo courtesy of Rosina Fleming

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