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Bad Dog!: A Memoir of Love, Beauty, and Redemption in Dark Places
What would happen if, instead of bolting your doors against the intrusion of demons you invited them in?
Bad Dog! is a vivid testament to the unforeseen love, beauty, and redemption discovered in the most difficult times and places. It reads like a collection of closely linked short stories (think JD Salinger) but is in fact a work of literary nonfiction (think Robert Fulgham, or Augusten Burroughs). Bad Dog! will appeal to anyone who has fallen into dark places and wants to climb back into the light.
With quietly crafted poetic language of a quality rarely seen in spiritual books, Lin Jensen tells the stories of his remarkably difficult his tumultuous early years on a struggling Midwestern turkey farm, his failed marriage, and the search for meaning that led him eventually to become a Zen teacher. The raw and earthy lessons of Bad Dog! cut to the quick with an understated power, and the reader is left at the end of each chapter subtly transformed, able to reflect more deeply and more fruitfully on the struggles of our own lives. Lin Jensen's writing has rare poetic and literary merit.
Lin Jensen received the Best Nonfiction/Spiritual Book award from Today's Librarian for his previous book, Uncovering the Wisdom of the Heartmind . He has taught writing in various colleges and universities for over twenty years, and continues to teach Buddhist ethics and practices at Chico State University. He is the founding teacher and senior teacher emeritus of the Chico Zen Sangha, in Chico, California, where he lives with his wife.
Bad Dog! is a vivid testament to the unforeseen love, beauty, and redemption discovered in the most difficult times and places. It reads like a collection of closely linked short stories (think JD Salinger) but is in fact a work of literary nonfiction (think Robert Fulgham, or Augusten Burroughs). Bad Dog! will appeal to anyone who has fallen into dark places and wants to climb back into the light.
With quietly crafted poetic language of a quality rarely seen in spiritual books, Lin Jensen tells the stories of his remarkably difficult his tumultuous early years on a struggling Midwestern turkey farm, his failed marriage, and the search for meaning that led him eventually to become a Zen teacher. The raw and earthy lessons of Bad Dog! cut to the quick with an understated power, and the reader is left at the end of each chapter subtly transformed, able to reflect more deeply and more fruitfully on the struggles of our own lives. Lin Jensen's writing has rare poetic and literary merit.
Lin Jensen received the Best Nonfiction/Spiritual Book award from Today's Librarian for his previous book, Uncovering the Wisdom of the Heartmind . He has taught writing in various colleges and universities for over twenty years, and continues to teach Buddhist ethics and practices at Chico State University. He is the founding teacher and senior teacher emeritus of the Chico Zen Sangha, in Chico, California, where he lives with his wife.
288 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 8, 2022
A writer with clarity and simplicity. A memoir of a man who lives with grace.
August 7, 2018
This opus is a compilation of scenes from Jensen's life, starting with early childhood on a turkey farm. Jensen is Zen Buddhist, founding teacher of a Zen sangha in Chico, CA.
Some of the stories are heart-wrenching, such as "Fawn." The storytelling is intimate in content, excellently written.
Jensen demonstrates Zen as compassionate intimacy with life, all of it, from most pleasing to most painful. He, however, does not present this as merely a book on Zen, indeed theory or direct practice of Zen is absent.
The stories encourage us indirectly. He never refers to what we should or should not do with life or our lives. We can overhear, nevertheless, his beckoning us, if we are prepared to, to enfold all life within our embrace, and in engage of most importance the presence and summons of love... as Jensen concludes the treatise, referring to himself when a child: 'But still, here’s this kid who simply refuses to leave love out of the equation, no matter what the mathematical odds are of its occurrence. He can’t imagine a situation so bad as to not expect some kindness to arise from it. He takes for granted that redemption can be found in hell itself if that’s where you happen to be. In his innocence he has hit upon a truth that time would reveal to him in its fullness.'
Some of the stories are heart-wrenching, such as "Fawn." The storytelling is intimate in content, excellently written.
Jensen demonstrates Zen as compassionate intimacy with life, all of it, from most pleasing to most painful. He, however, does not present this as merely a book on Zen, indeed theory or direct practice of Zen is absent.
The stories encourage us indirectly. He never refers to what we should or should not do with life or our lives. We can overhear, nevertheless, his beckoning us, if we are prepared to, to enfold all life within our embrace, and in engage of most importance the presence and summons of love... as Jensen concludes the treatise, referring to himself when a child: 'But still, here’s this kid who simply refuses to leave love out of the equation, no matter what the mathematical odds are of its occurrence. He can’t imagine a situation so bad as to not expect some kindness to arise from it. He takes for granted that redemption can be found in hell itself if that’s where you happen to be. In his innocence he has hit upon a truth that time would reveal to him in its fullness.'
February 9, 2020
“Don’t be deterred by the sometimes troubled landscape visited in these pages. I have returned to these regions not for the sorrow or pity of it, but for the wonder of how love and beauty take root in even the most barren places. Bad Dog! occupies a world in which people with every reason to misunderstand each other, miraculously meet, and find their lives less lonely. Your consolation and mine is that no matter how difficult difficult life can, it’s sweetness is always with us”
I thought Lin’s description of the book summed it up pretty well. It starts intensely and if you are sensitive to the plight of animals it’s quite jarring (I had to take a few breaks). But farm life is a fact of life that kept people alive and well, people are generally just doing their best with what they know.
Once you get past the first few chapters it gets less jarring and just....lovely? I feel like Lin and I think alike so this book just R E S O N A T E D with me. It’s really just finding peace and beauty (and appreciation) in all things.
This is a HEAVY recommend.
I thought Lin’s description of the book summed it up pretty well. It starts intensely and if you are sensitive to the plight of animals it’s quite jarring (I had to take a few breaks). But farm life is a fact of life that kept people alive and well, people are generally just doing their best with what they know.
Once you get past the first few chapters it gets less jarring and just....lovely? I feel like Lin and I think alike so this book just R E S O N A T E D with me. It’s really just finding peace and beauty (and appreciation) in all things.
This is a HEAVY recommend.
September 7, 2007
Bad Dog! was a slightly different read than what I was expecting. I picked up this book in the Buddhist section of the book store, and although the author is a buddhist, Buddhism itself is not the theme of the book.
The beginning was a little tough for me to get through. The author talks about growing up on a turkey farm during the depression. I don't eat meat, and some of the stories involving animals were pretty graphic. The saving quality is knowing that the author feels genuine remorse as an adult, even though he had no choice as a child.
There were several points in the book that may make you want to cry. Without giving anything away, the author speaks of several deaths in his life. With the perspectives of a buddhist you can see the way that both life and death should be cherished.
This book may leave you feeling down, or it may inspire you. I think it really depends on your personal beliefs and views. If you get depressed easily, I wouldn't recommend this book, but if you're looking for an honest look at life, give it a read.
The beginning was a little tough for me to get through. The author talks about growing up on a turkey farm during the depression. I don't eat meat, and some of the stories involving animals were pretty graphic. The saving quality is knowing that the author feels genuine remorse as an adult, even though he had no choice as a child.
There were several points in the book that may make you want to cry. Without giving anything away, the author speaks of several deaths in his life. With the perspectives of a buddhist you can see the way that both life and death should be cherished.
This book may leave you feeling down, or it may inspire you. I think it really depends on your personal beliefs and views. If you get depressed easily, I wouldn't recommend this book, but if you're looking for an honest look at life, give it a read.
April 24, 2012
Jensen is a Zen teacher, and a became interested in this book when I read his interview in Sweeping Zen, which was most interesting. This book is not specifically about Zen, but is a kind of memoir in parts, as he looks at specific moments that shaped his life. The man has had a difficult and interesting life, especially early on, and he's quite a good writer. Somehow the book did not ultimately cohere for me, but maybe it wasn't supposed to.
September 6, 2010
This is an excellent book, written simply and in conversational style. It describes occurrences in the author's life and offers insights gained from them as he grows through a harsh childhood into a teacher and Zen Buddhist. I found the content compelling and creating for me as I read an almost direct experience of the events being described.
January 10, 2011
This book is right up my alley. A series of short essays about the author's life. Excellent writing. He is a Buddhist, which is how I heard about it, but that doesn't play a big part in the essays. His ability to flow/relate with grace and forgiveness to some of the difficult things that happened to him in his life is inspiring. Highly recommended.
July 11, 2014
I took too long reading this, and when I was finished, wanted to start it all over again. What thought-provoking images and ideas he brought up. Thanks Steve!
December 9, 2009
Not a bad read- sometimes a bit disturbing, but often told from a very humble and insightful viewpoint.
April 22, 2012
Worth reading. Many, many fine vignettes of living a life in the present. Families challenged by misunderstanding and the demands of unquestioned expectations.
July 14, 2013
All of his books I've read have been great but this one is a must read!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews