A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants: A Memoir ebook

by Jaed Coffin

A Chant to Soothe Wild E. .has been added to your Cart. Great book from a truly talented writer. The only thing that could have made it better would have been a little more insight into what was going through Jaed's mind as he made his way through the journey

A Chant to Soothe Wild E. The only thing that could have made it better would have been a little more insight into what was going through Jaed's mind as he made his way through the journey. To be honest I am still not sure even why he joined the monastery and when he spoke of American Buddhism, I questioned his qualifications to speak for such.

While addressing the notions of displacement, ethnic identity, and cultural belonging, A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants chronicles his . Jaed Coffin holds a . in philosophy from Middlebury College and an . from the University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast Writing Program.

Jaed Coffin holds a . A boxer, sea-kayaker, and lobster fisherman, he lives in Brunswick, Maine.

Thailand, Buddhism - General, Ethnic Cultures - General, General, Personal Memoirs.

Buddhism, Religious life & practice, Travel writing, Buddhist Philosophy, Biography & Autobiography, Biography, Autobiography, phy, Thailand, Buddhism - General, Ethnic Cultures - General, General, Personal Memoirs. Books for People with Print Disabilities. Internet Archive Books. Uploaded by Tracey Gutierres on September 12, 2013.

Apr 18, 2010 Karen rated it really liked it. A memoir about a young man from Maine (Jaed Coffin)who feels torn between the culture of his father (American) and his mother (Thai). This book is roughly 200 pages, but I felt it could have been so This is a memoir written by Jaed Coffin, a boy growing up in Brunswick, Maine, who decides to return to his mother's village in Thailand to study as a monk. Many Thai men spend a period of their lives at a Buddhist temple.

The result is A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants, Coffin's first book. An eponymous poem opens this memoir. In other words, read A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants while cultivating your own acceptance of uncertainty and the unknown. It expresses the ancient words whispered to the elephants captured to serve in the Thai King's army. The poem is strikingly beautiful and, indeed, very soothing. On first reading, we thought it hinted at how, as Coffin travels between countries and cultures, he would meet people who ease his way and calm his questioning mind. jaed coffin a chant to soothe wild elephants. 6. Venus as a Boy in Silent Film 'Little Old New York'.

Six years ago at the age of twenty-one, Jaed Muncharoen Coffin, a.Books related to A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants.

Six years ago at the age of twenty-one, Jaed Muncharoen Coffin, a half-Thai American man, left New England's privileged. Part armchair travel, part coming-of-age story, this debut work transcends the memoir genre and ushers in a brave new voice in American nonfiction.

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Jaed Coffin is the author of A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants, a memoir about the summer he spent as a Buddhist monk in his mother's village of Panomsarakram, Thailand. His next book, Roughhouse Friday, chronicles the year he won the middleweight title of a barroom boxing show in Juneau, Alaska. Jaed lives in his hometown of Brunswick, Maine, with his wife and two daughters, and teaches in the MFA and undergraduate writing programs at the University of New Hampshire. He's currently at work on a story about the 50th anniversary of Muhammad Ali's Phantom Punch.

His first book, A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants (Da Capo/Perseus 2008), chronicles the summer h.14 November 2019 ·. Jaed Coffin is confirmed as our lunch keynote speaker. His first book, A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants (Da Capo/Perseus 2008), chronicles the summer he spent as a Buddhist monk in his mother's village in central Thailand. His forthcoming book, Roughhouse Friday (from Riverhead/Penguin), is about the year he won the middleweight title of a barroom boxing show in Juneau, Alaska. Coffin has lectured widely at over twenty colleges and universities, where he speaks on topics of multiculturalism, masculinity, and the environment.

Like the best memoirs, A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants uncovers more questions than it answers. With books like The Battle for God and The Great Transformation, religious scholar Karen Armstrong managed to satisfy both a popular audience and her academic peers.

Six years ago at the age of twenty-one, Jaed Muncharoen Coffin, a half-Thai American man, left New England's privileged Middlebury College to be ordained as a Buddhist monk in his mother's native village of Panomsarakram--thus fulfilling a familial obligation. While addressing the notions of displacement, ethnic identity, and cultural belonging, A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants chronicles his time at the temple that rain season--receiving alms in the streets in saffron robes; bathing in the canals; learning to meditate in a mountaintop hut; and falling in love with Lek, a beautiful Thai woman who comes to represent the life he can have if he stays. Part armchair travel, part coming-of-age story, this debut work transcends the memoir genre and ushers in a brave new voice in American nonfiction.

Ann

Great book from a truly talented writer. The only thing that could have made it better would have been a little more insight into what was going through Jaed's mind as he made his way through the journey. To be honest I am still not sure even why he joined the monastery and when he spoke of American Buddhism, I questioned his qualifications to speak for such. By his own writing, it remained unclear if and if so, to what extent, he was involved with Buddhism in this country.

For that matter, from start to finish, I am unsure of the degree of understanding the author possesses in regards to Buddhism. Reading his work, it would be easy for someone to get the impression that Buddhism is an uniquely Thai religion which is far from the truth. In the end, I was left wondering if this experience was indeed special or just one more adventure to be propped up along side other junkets to such places as Alaska and Madrid.

Nevertheless, the author speaks with and to a very American mindset with which I could readily relate even though I am a 100% Amewrican mutt of European background. The prose is beautifully written and, as a Buddhist myself, the glimpses of Thai culture are especially captivating.

Vizil

First, let me just say that I recommend this book heartily to anyone interested in Buddhism, Thailand, coming-of-age stories, or inter-cultural understanding in general.

This book is gentle, unlike many memoirs these days, and Coffin takes the time to make you understand why he becomes a monk, and why he later decides to disrobe (which is entirely acceptable in Thai culture). But what is truly different about this book is that it gives the reader an intimate view of "village Buddhism," which can be quite different from the actual instructions to monks by the Buddha. Nobody does anything bad, but the attitudes are really different from other accounts of dedicated monks one might have read. It's all fascinating and not in the least disheartening, so hopeful Buddhists need not fear it.

I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to whatever Mr. Coffin has planned next.

September

Jaed recounts some fascinating experiences succinctly and artfully, some you would never expect of a Buddhist monk. What I found lacking was the dropping of some important motifs, specifically whether he pursued his Buddhist practice to any degree after he returned from Thailand, and how he ultimately regarded his romantic interest in Lek. For someone who belittled American culture so much (and I'm not criticizing him for that), Jaed was very American in pursuing an idealized quest abroad, abandoning it within a season, and going on to describe his next projects as though the pipe dream never happened. If the experiences were so fascinating and important, what were the ultimate impacts of them on his life and why?

Malien

In this memoir, Jaed Coffin retells the story of his time spent in Thailand as a Buddhist monk. He is the offspring of an interracial couple living in America in the 70's. As a child he was often confused of his identity, and as a college student decides to venture to Thailand to become a monk for a three month period. During this endeavor he learns how to meditate and spends a great amount of time with other monks. Yet he finds himself questioning his reasoning behind his journey to Thailand and his ascetic lifestyle. Coffin writes from his "not sure heart" in this beautiful re-telling of his life as a monk.

Watikalate

Coffin's adventure is totally captivating. I want to hear more about his early childhood. Hope he writes that memoir.

นℕĨĈტℝ₦

In a world where many find time for introspection only when we mistakenly leave our BlackBerrys in the car while we queue up at Starbucks, we could learn a lot by reading this fascinating book about a young man's quest to honor his culture and discover his values. It takes a unique drive to leave a preppy New England school to become a monk in Thaliand - and it takes courage to write about the emotions of the experience candidly. This book is a treat to read - honest and succinct. Strongly recommended.

Saintrius

Jaed Coffin grew up in Maine, the son of a Thai mother and a white American soldier. His parents divorced when he was an infant and until her father died, his mother brought him and his sister on several visits to her ancestral home town. Growing up with roots in two cultures, he felt--as young people often do--rooted in neither.

While at Middlebury College Coffin studied philosophy and, he writes, "had become obsessed with Buddhist thought and secretly imagined that my cultural background entitled me to privileged insight into ancient sutras." The reader might have preferred more on his spiritual path as a prelude to Coffin's decision to go to Thailand and be ordained as a monk. It may have been a question of family or cultural responsibility, like compulsory military service, but that is not conveyed in Coffin's writing.

A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants: A Memoir is Coffin's story of life in the temple as a chanting monk. He writes in an observational fashion and the details of this culture shock are vivid. He spoke very little Thai when he immersed himself in temple life, nor was his understanding of Buddhism extensive. And, it must be said, his commitment to the celibate life was not deep.

The writing is crisp and descriptive but the main character of this memoir remains something of an unknown. Coffin writes of his "not sure heart" and after ten weeks, decides to go back to the U.S. and finish college; or maybe that was always his intention? There's a further decision to be made, about a Thai girl named Lek, and again the decision process is not explored for us.

I give this book four stars for the lucid language and the wonderful story of Thai village and temple life. The fifth star will be added when Jaed Coffin digs more deeply into the motivations behind his characters. I hope he does that in a future work, so I can enjoy more from him.

Linda Bulger, 2008