Zen Telegrams

Book excerpt: This book of Zen poetry and art blends simple, haiku-like poetry with bold minimalist ink brush drawings. The unique books of Paul Reps have attracted countless readers since they were first published in the 1950s. His classic Zen Flesh, Zen Bones remains one of the most popular books on Zen ever published in English. Zen Telegrams is a collection of Reps's picture-poems," works of calligraphic art and minimalist poetry that first fascinated Japanese,then attracted Western viewers. A lesser artist trying to combine English text and Eastern art might have failed, but Reps was a rare talent, accomplished in a wide variety of literary genres and art forms. American by birth, Reps lived in many countries and traveled throughout the world. He seemed to know no national boundaries, and his unique work appeals to a universal audience.