71 ratings | 13 reviews | avg rating:3.89

more photos (1)

Lee’s Year In Books

Lee’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Lee’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Lee’s 2025 Year in Books

Lee Carlson’s Followers (25)

Lee’s Bookshelves

to-read (2)
currently-reading (116)
read (89)
classics (3)
detective-spy-fiction (1)
nautical (4)
non-fiction (2)
outdoor (1)
recent-fiction (1)
spiritual (5)
See all bookshelves »

Lee’s Friends (216)

Chris

941 books | 648 friends

Shambhala Publications

505 books | 264 friends

Book Launchers

82 books | 19 friends

Belinda (Belle) Witzenhausen

4,851 books | 1,762 friends

Robin

629 books | 122 friends

Connie

257 books | 1,078 friends

Dona

297 books | 27 friends

Patrick

3,222 books | 693 friends

More friends…

Lee Carlson

Goodreads Author

Born

in Coronado, California, The United States

Website

http://www.leecarlson.life

Twitter

@LCarlson_author

Genre

Memoir, Spirituality, Zen

Influences

Ernest Hemingway, Clark Blaise, Franz Kafka, Peter Matthiessen, Herman ...more

Member Since

November 2010

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/leecarlson

edit data

Lee Carlson is an author, journalist, and Zen practitioner whose life and work have been shaped by recovery, resilience, and a relentless search for meaning. A survivor of traumatic brain injury, his acclaimed memoir "Passage to Nirvana" chronicled his journey from near death to healing, guided by writing, sailing, and Zen. The book became a grassroots success, connecting with readers across the U.S. and internationally—from Hamptons bookshops to missionary circles in Indonesia. A seasoned editor and reporter, Carlson brings a refined observational style and structural discipline to his work, developed over decades in both long-form nonfiction and magazine publishing.

Carlson’s career spans decades in magazine, newspaper, and broadcast journ Lee Carlson is an author, journalist, and Zen practitioner whose life and work have been shaped by recovery, resilience, and a relentless search for meaning. A survivor of traumatic brain injury, his acclaimed memoir "Passage to Nirvana" chronicled his journey from near death to healing, guided by writing, sailing, and Zen. The book became a grassroots success, connecting with readers across the U.S. and internationally—from Hamptons bookshops to missionary circles in Indonesia. A seasoned editor and reporter, Carlson brings a refined observational style and structural discipline to his work, developed over decades in both long-form nonfiction and magazine publishing.

Carlson’s career spans decades in magazine, newspaper, and broadcast journalism, including work for Outside, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, NBC Sports, and Time Inc. He later transitioned into advertising and media production, with clients ranging from ESPN to Lavazza Coffee. He also served as executive producer of the award-winning documentary Patriot Guard Riders. He has spoken to audiences ranging from medical institutions to public libraries, often on the topics of neurological trauma, creative recovery, and Zen.

For more than 15 years, Carlson was a close student of Peter Matthiessen, the National Book Award–winning author and Zen teacher. Their spiritual and intellectual relationship—rooted in daily practice—informs his book A Single Excellent Night, a literary nonfiction work that explores Matthiessen’s legacy and teachings from the rare vantage point of personal proximity. Shaped by working closely with figures like Matthiessen and Carlson’s cousin, activist and scholar Joanna Macy, Carlson’s ongoing body of work sits at the intersection of narrative memoir, contemplative inquiry, and literary reportage, engaging readers seeking meaning in our increasingly chaotic modern lives.

Carlson earned his bachelor’s degree from Skidmore College, where he studied under acclaimed author Clark Blaise. Born on a naval base in Coronado, California, and raised in Buffalo, New York, Carlson has lived in varied environments—from a Central Park West co-op to a 50-foot sailing catamaran, which served as his home and writing space for nearly a decade. He is the father of two grown sons and, when not on the road or the sea, is currently based in Western New York. When not writing, he’s usually outdoors—reading voraciously, skiing, sailing, or scaling mountains.

To learn more, visit https://leecarlson.life.
...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Lee Carlson questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Lee Carlson’s books

Average rating: 4.0 · 14 ratings · 2 reviews · 3 distinct works

	Passage to Nirvana 3.80 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2010 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Single Excellent Night: A Man, a Mentor, & a Moment in Time 4.50 avg rating — 4 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Silver and Gold 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2012 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Lee is Currently Reading

Lee Carlson is currently reading

Aflame: Learning from Silence

by Pico Iyer

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jul 15, 2025 08:26PM

Lee Carlson is currently reading

Dolphin Junction: Stories

by Mick Herron

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jul 15, 2025 06:44PM

Lee Carlson is currently reading

Tuesdays with Morrie

by Mitch Albom (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jul 01, 2025 06:27AM

rss
Lee’s Recent Updates

Lee Carlson is now friends with Book Launchers
Dec 16, 2025 05:24AM · like
Lee Carlson answered Goodreads's question: What books are on your summer reading list this year? As I’m writing this, summer has just finished where I am. I was on deadline putting the finishing touches on my new book, “A Single Excellent Night,” so reading, rereading, editing, rewriting, editing again, and again, took up most of my time, but I See Full Answer
Oct 30, 2025 04:57AM · like
Lee Carlson is accepting questions on their profile page.
Oct 30, 2025 04:33AM · Be the first to ask Lee Carlson a question

More of Lee's books…

Lee’s Quotes

“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”
― Ernest Hemingway

tags: concern, empathy, listening, understanding-others

3209 likes

“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.”
― Ernest Hemingway

tags: truth, writing, writing-advice

4177 likes

“I'd rather sing one wild song and burst my heart with it, than live a thousand years watching my digestion and being afraid of the wet.”
― Jack London, The Turtles of Tasman

1726 likes

“My eye is fixed not on the ending of the book but on the feeling of that ending.”
― Peter Matthiessen

10 likes

“Moment by moment, breath by breath...that is my greatest teaching.”
― Peter Matthiessen

tags: zen

1 likes

More of Lee’s quotes…

recent posts
Lee’s Groups

Christian Fiction Devourers — 10081 members — last activity 4 hours, 1 min ago
Follow us on: Facebook Pinterest Keeping romance, history, humor, mystery, love, intrigue, and passion interesting, fun, and clean for all Christians ...more

THE Group for Authors! — 12974 members — last activity Jan 24, 2026 05:53AM
This is a group for authors to discuss their craft, as well as publishing and book marketing.

Memoirs and Biographies We Love — 1362 members — last activity Jan 12, 2026 01:45PM
A place to share memoirs, biographies, autobiographies (and maybe even fiction-based-in-reality) that you have enjoyed!

Short Story lovers — 410 members — last activity Oct 13, 2024 01:51PM
For people who especially love short stories, and don't care who knows it! ...more

Oprah's Book Club (Official) — 85488 members — last activity 4 hours, 21 min ago
Welcome to the official Oprah's Book Club group. OBC is the interactive, multi-platform reading club bringing passionate readers together to discuss i ...more

Goodreads Authors/Readers — 55929 members — last activity 1 hour, 3 min ago
This group is dedicated to connecting readers with Goodreads authors. It is divided by genres, and includes folders for writing resources, book websit ...more

Reading Peace — 1470 members — last activity Aug 15, 2023 08:57AM
Reading Peace is a book club exploring topics in mindfulness and Buddhism in daily life in a way that is accessible and relevant to today. We meet o ...more

Around the World in 80 Books — 30926 members — last activity 2 hours, 23 min ago
Reading takes you places. Where in the world will your next book take you? If you love world literature, translated works, travel writing, or explorin ...more

Christian Books Only Review Group — 1626 members — last activity Jan 23, 2026 06:40AM
A Christian group mainly for Christian authors who are willing to review other Christian authors books in exchange for reviews of their own books. T ...more

More of Lee’s groups…