[LittleBuddhaTW] Seeking Nirvana

[LittleBuddhaTW]

"Seeking Nirvana" has been up for a little while now, and there have been some interesting discussions so far in the "Story Cafe" forum ... any more thoughts???

 

http://littlebuddhatw.gayauthors.org/short...ng_nirvana.html

 

Edited June 7, 2006 by LittleBuddhaTW

[C James]

"Seeking Nirvana" has been up for a little while now, and there have been some interesting discussions so far in the "Story Cafe" forum ... any more thoughts???

 

http://members.gayauthors.org/littlebuddha...ng_nirvana.html

 

 

My two cent's worth: I loved it! IMHO it was a wonderful insight into Buddhism, and a really great story too.

It's my favorite of your stories (And I'm not trying to knock SOOTB!) and thank you very much for writing and posting it.

[LittleBuddhaTW]

My two cent's worth: I loved it! IMHO it was a wonderful insight into Buddhism, and a really great story too.

It's my favorite of your stories (And I'm not trying to knock SOOTB!) and thank you very much for writing and posting it.

 

Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Seems like you, me, and Kitty were the only ones who got it! hehe

[Jingjok]

Well, now, I'm still telling anyone who'll listen that it's the best short story on Nifty

 

But then, as I said in email, I'd had nine years of exposure to the Thai version of Buddhism, so the venue was familiar - except for the snow - and the rituals were comparable.

 

Perhaps other readers are distracted by culture shock. I really liked Nicky. I liked the way he helped Calvin with reading romaji - but then I was familiar with the idea that Thai Buddhism is conducted in Pali, which is a type of Sanskrit.

 

Other readers seem to have a lot of stress over Vic. I saw him as just a peripheral distraction - maybe like a big Taiwanese mosquito

 

I'm glad to hear the boys live near each other. I look forward to a sequel

[LittleBuddhaTW]

Well, I'm glad someone else enjoyed it, too!

 

I doubt there will be a sequel, but you never know. I pretty much conveyed the message I was shooting for already. I agree with the assessment that "Vic" was only a peripheral character (the mosquito analogy was pretty good! lol)

 

I do have another short story in the planning stages. I want to try to express what it's like being a gay teen in Taiwan to a Western audience, and all of the different societal and cultural barriers. To do that, though, I'll have to do my best to write from the perspective of a Taiwanese boy, which would be a challenge. I'll need to do it before I leave Taiwan, though, lest I become too American-ized again to be able to be as authentic as possible. I think writing a short story is a lot more difficult than a serial, because you have to condense so much into a relatively short space.

[Jingjok]

I do have another short story in the planning stages. I want to try to express what it's like being a gay teen in Taiwan to a Western audience, and all of the different societal and cultural barriers. To do that, though, I'll have to do my best to write from the perspective of a Taiwanese boy, which would be a challenge. I'll need to do it before I leave Taiwan, though, lest I become too American-ized again to be able to be as authentic as possible. I think writing a short story is a lot more difficult than a serial, because you have to condense so much into a relatively short space.

 

That would be really good to see. There seems to be so little material - at least in English - about native Asian young gays. "Crystal Boys" is pretty dated. I suspect there are stories in print written by American Chinese, but I don't know of any, and have seen none on Nifty.

 

There are a couple of volumes of short stories about young gay Thai boys pining for each other, called "When the Dove Coos" (which is a euphemism for ejaculation). I just checked Google - there's a Vol. 3 now, and V.2 is available, but I didn't see V.1.

 

I found a couple of paperback volumes of 16th century Japanese gay stories at a gay bookstore in Hollywood. They can be depressing, though - there are a lot of double death scenes.

 

It's an interesting challenge to write from another cultural perspective. I wrote a Nifty short story about a closeted primitive African hunter, when I saw a recommended cure for writer's block might be to try a completely different POV.

[AFriendlyFace]

Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Seems like you, me, and Kitty were the only ones who got it! hehe

That's not entirely true. I quite enjoyed it as well, and I'm sure many others did too

[LittleBuddhaTW]

That's not entirely true. I quite enjoyed it as well, and I'm sure many others did too

 

I was trying to be self-deprecating ... like any "good Buddhist" should!

 

LOL j/k

 

~ buddha

[ex52tech]

Please write a sequel, then they can have some passionate sex. Trail of clothing through the house, shirt buttons all over the kitchen floor, lamps knocked over, you know...the usual stuff.

Edited April 19, 2006 by ex52tech

[ex52tech]

Considering they're both teenagers who still live with their parents, that would definitely be an interesting scene.

 

Kitty

EXACTLY!!!!

[LittleBuddhaTW]

Perhaps they could go to a Tantric sex (learning how to achieve enlightenment through sexual ritual) camp next? That would certainly keep with the whole "spirituality" theme ...

 

Just kidding! LOL ...... I think ...

 

LBTW

[C James]

Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Seems like you, me, and Kitty were the only ones who got it! hehe

 

I am appalled by the lukewarm response that this story received. I'm not usually fond of short stories of any kind, and I knew nothing of Buddhism, so if anyone wouldn't have liked this story I'd have thought it would be me. Instead, I absolutely loved it, and I learned a lot too!!!

 

Hmmm... If you do the tartaric sex sequel, how about "Finding Nirvana" as the title?

[ex52tech]

I am appalled by the lukewarm response that this story received. I'm not usually fond of short stories of any kind, and I knew nothing of Buddhism, so if anyone wouldn't have liked this story I'd have thought it would be me. Instead, I absolutely loved it, and I learned a lot too!!!

 

Hmmm... If you do the tartaric sex sequel, how about "Finding Nirvana" as the title?

I totally agree, I learned alot, but the story left me hanging at the end, and it wasn't limp.

[petefromoz]

This was an exceedingly good read, definitely the best work I've seen from LittleBuddha, who is a remarkably good writer to begin with. I can strongly recommend it on several fronts, not least as an excellent primer on the concepts of Zen and Buddhism in general. And of course, it's also a great story about friendship, love, and being true to yourself. I can strongly recommend this to pretty much anyone who'd come here in the first place, and more than a few who wouldn't.

 

-- Pete

[LittleBuddhaTW]

Just a reminder ... if you haven't read my short story "Seeking Nirvana" yet, go check it out ...

 

http://members.gayauthors.org/littlebuddha...ng_nirvana.html

 

And if you like it, stop by the Story Archive and post a rating!

 

I'd also love to see some more comments/thoughts from people who've read it ... I know you're out there! Lots of feedback from readers is what encourages me to write!

Edited May 22, 2006 by LittleBuddhaTW

[Guest epi]

Gay American teens who find value in Eastern religion? Yes, I'm sure there are many. And many more who could use it. But you wouldn't know that by reading gay stories.

 

I liked Seeking Nirvana. Somehow silence and transparency allowed these two boys to have a genuine experience and made them clear and strong enough to appreciate it.

 

Maybe the Eastern wave of the '60s still has a ripple or two left.

[LittleBuddhaTW]

I liked Seeking Nirvana. Somehow silence and transparency allowed these two boys to have a genuine experience and made them clear and strong enough to appreciate it.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed it, and were able to read the deeper message that I was trying to get at.