Andrew Schelling Books

The narrative delves into the life of Jaime de Angulo, a multifaceted figure who embodies the spirit of the Old Coyote of Big Sur. It highlights his contributions as a linguist, doctor, and ethnographer while illuminating the rich yet persecuted Native Californian cultures. His works reflect a bohemian ethos and draw upon coyote tales and shamanic mysticism, earning him accolades from literary giants like Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams. Andrew Schelling intertwines de Angulo's life story with the landscapes and cultures of the Pacific coast, reviving these essential narratives.

Chance, the great beloved of gamblers, lovers, generals and kings, has long held sway over mortal affairs. Whether assuming the form of the goddess Fortuna and her ever-turning wheel, or the abstract mathematic of ‘randomness’, her favor is universally sought, and her displeasure feared. To the devotee of Chance, the arts of divination may be regarded as her secret liturgy, providing glimpses of the unknown to those she esteems. Into the retort of the alchemist-poet, Pendell compounds portent, omen, oracle, and the art of prediction to distill The Language of the Birds, a reverie upon the nature of the Goddess of Fortune and the sacred function of Chance. This second Three Hands Press edition contains a new foreword to the work by Andrew Schelling, author of 'Tracks Along the Left Coast' (Counterpoint Press, 2018), as well as one new color frontispiece by the author. -- Three Hands Press ― Publisher

The Indian subcontinent's rich tradition of erotic love poetry intricately blends spiritual longing and sensuality, often blurring the lines between devotion and desire. This collection highlights how poets use themes of eroticism and mysticism, reflecting a cultural landscape where both elements coexist harmoniously. The presence of erotic sculptures in temples and the portrayal of gods with vibrant sexuality further emphasize this unique interplay, making the exploration of these poems a profound journey into the heart of love and spirituality.

A lyrical translation of an inspired selection of verses from the earliest Buddhist monks and nuns. More than two thousand years ago, the earliest disciples of the Buddha put into verse their experiences on the spiritual journey--from their daily struggles to their spiritual realizations. Over time the verses were collected to form the Theragatha and Therigatha, the "Verses of Elder Monks" and "Verses of Elder Nuns" respectively. In Songs of the Sons and Daughters of the Buddha, renowned poets Andrew Schelling and Anne Waldman have translated the most poignant poems in these collections, bringing forth the visceral, immediate qualities that are often lost in more scholarly renditions. These selections reveal the fears, loves, mishaps, expectations, and joys of the early monks and nuns, when, struck by wild insight, they cried out the anguish or solace they knew in their lives.

Poetry. OLD TALE ROAD, Andrew Schelling's first full collection of poetry in six years, is a visionary work of crisply detailed language and wide-ranging content. It balances the ecological, mythic, and personal realms, while carrying the flavor of American ballads or blues. There are poems in haibun form, lyric songs, linked-verse, and a Noh play. The personae of OLD TALE ROAD include friends, ghosts, lovers, Buddhist monks, dead poets, mountain spirits, and the strangely named animals of the American West. "Andrew Schelling is the latest incarnation in an American poetic lineage that began with the Transcendentalists and moved west with Rexroth and the unlikely and fortuitous conjunction of wilderness expertise, the observational precision of a natural historian, homegrown radical politics, and an immersion in Asian philosophy and writing"—Eliot Weinberger.

Exploring the rich tradition of erotic poetry from ancient India, this collection spans from the second to the sixteenth century. It begins with works from the Prakrit anthology attributed to King Hala and includes renowned poets like Amaru, Bhavabhuti, and Bhartrihari. The poems are characterized by their uninhibited expression, emotional depth, and themes of love, sex, and beauty, offering a poignant celebration of human desire and connection.

"A single stanza of the poet Amaru," declared a ninth-century poetry critic, "may provide the taste of love equal to what's found in whole volumes." Graceful and yet remarkably playful, intensely passionate, and at times hinting of divine transcendence, the poems translated here offer poignant glimpses into the many faces of erotic love. This collection, known in Sanskrit as the Amarushataka ("One Hundred Poems of Amaru"), was compiled in the eighth century and remains to this day one of India's finest collections of love poetry. It has never been fully translated into English poetry before. Legend connects the poetry's authorship to King Amaru of Kashmir, while present-day scholars generally consider it an anthology of the verses of many poets.Poet and translator Andrew Schelling's artful translations render the ancient verses with freshness and immediacy. Schelling's compelling introduction and afterword offer musings on the colorful background and history of the original Sanskrit text.