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Passage to Nirvana
On May 15, 2002, Lee Carlson’s life was transformed forever when he was hit by a careless, speeding driver. Father, husband, writer, son—all that was about to change. Several days later he woke up in a hospital with a new Traumatic Brain Injury Survivor. Unfortunately he knew all about Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI. Just months before, his mother had fallen down a flight of basement stairs, crushing her brain and leaving her unable to walk, speak or feed herself.
Told in a unique creative style influenced by the author’s brain injury, combining short poems and essays in an interwoven, exuberant narrative, Passage to Nirvana recounts one person’s struggle and ultimate joy at building a new life. The story takes the reader through Intensive Care Units, doctors’ offices and a profusion of therapy centers, eventually winding its way to sunlit oceans, quiet Zen meditation halls, white beaches, azure skies and a sailboat named Nirvana.
Passage to Nirvana is a memoir, a treasury of Zen teachings and a sailor’s yarn all rolled into one. Passage to Nirvana is an illustrative tale about finding a path to happiness after a traumatic life event, a book that will teach you about the Poetry of Living.
Told in a unique creative style influenced by the author’s brain injury, combining short poems and essays in an interwoven, exuberant narrative, Passage to Nirvana recounts one person’s struggle and ultimate joy at building a new life. The story takes the reader through Intensive Care Units, doctors’ offices and a profusion of therapy centers, eventually winding its way to sunlit oceans, quiet Zen meditation halls, white beaches, azure skies and a sailboat named Nirvana.
Passage to Nirvana is a memoir, a treasury of Zen teachings and a sailor’s yarn all rolled into one. Passage to Nirvana is an illustrative tale about finding a path to happiness after a traumatic life event, a book that will teach you about the Poetry of Living.
342 pages, Nook
First published August 1, 2010
2 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Lee Carlson
3 books25 followersLee 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 11, 2011
I found Passage to Nirvana powerfully thought provoking. I confess to the error of judgment as I began reading and found the frequent comments focusing on his ex-wive's short comings and I allowed those comments to influence my opinion. Eventually, I recognized that as always, the exercise of judgment only short changed my enjoyment and I decided to just 'listen' to the words Mr. Carlson shared.
I closed the book recognizing the value of and need for loving relationships; sometimes the author found those relationships in family members and other times folks almost miraculously showed up to help him work his way back to as close of a sense of normalcy as he has achieved.
Yes, the book is about one man's struggle with Traumatic Brain Injury and the pain, confusion, sense of loss, he has faced and those who have suffered similarly should find inspiration in reading Passage to Nirvana. But the book is also another wonderful read about living with a little glimpse an idyllic life on a boat; a boat that was made sea-worthy by just ordinary folks who felt it was important to do so. There's some good Zen in there too, not that I know much about that, ,but the Zen wisdom shared therein rings true.
The 'Po's' were wonderful; I hope they catch on, the idea of using less (or fewer words with the Po) to say more is appealing.
I closed the book recognizing the value of and need for loving relationships; sometimes the author found those relationships in family members and other times folks almost miraculously showed up to help him work his way back to as close of a sense of normalcy as he has achieved.
Yes, the book is about one man's struggle with Traumatic Brain Injury and the pain, confusion, sense of loss, he has faced and those who have suffered similarly should find inspiration in reading Passage to Nirvana. But the book is also another wonderful read about living with a little glimpse an idyllic life on a boat; a boat that was made sea-worthy by just ordinary folks who felt it was important to do so. There's some good Zen in there too, not that I know much about that, ,but the Zen wisdom shared therein rings true.
The 'Po's' were wonderful; I hope they catch on, the idea of using less (or fewer words with the Po) to say more is appealing.
Displaying 1 of 1 review