Killing the Buddhat i n a n n i v e r s a r y s p e c t a c u l a r

Eugene Mirman!

Eileen Myles!

Gabriel Kahane!

And more!

Auction!

Gangstagrass!

6-word spiritual journeys!

Danica

Novgorodoff

Celebrating Ten Years

2000-2010 ... and beyond!

Jenny Bee’s BakerySaving the planet one dessert at a time!

Life-Friendly Alternative BakingAlways Vegan and Always Made With Love

914.309.9532jennybeesbakery@gmail.com

KtBniksFounding EditorsPeter ManseauJeff Sharlet

Senior EditorsQuince MountainNathan SchneiderMeera Subramanian

Associate EditorAshley Makar

Special Projects DirectorPaul W. Morris

Circulation ManagerGarrett Baer Contributing EditorsMark BergenPatton DoddErik HansonAlex RoseLaurel SnyderMary ValleJeff Wilson

Editorial InternJessica Miller

Spectacular Host CommitteePaul Morris and Quince Mountain, co-chairsNicholas Boggs (Dixon Place)Kira Brunner Don (Lapham’s Quarterly)Melvin Bukiet (author, Sandman’s Dust and others) Cynthia Daignault (Last Exit)Timothy Don (Lapham’s Quarterly)Michael W. Hudson (author, The Monster)Brigid Hughes (A Public Space)Kathryn Joyce (author, Quiverfull)Lewis Lapham (Harpers, Lapham’s Quarterly)Alane Mason (W. W. Norton)Rick Moody (author, The Ice Storm and others)Ann Neumann (The Revealer)Danica Novgorodoff (author, Slow Storm and others)Pat Oleszko (variously: nincompope, nun-of-that)Stephen Prothero (author, God is Not One and others)Frank Schaeffer (author, Patience with God and others)Larry Smith (SMITH) Rob Spillman (Tin House)Darcy Steinke (author, Suicide Blonde and others)Michael Vazquez (Bidoun)

Cocktail Hour & Auction PreviewCupcakes by Jenny Bee’s Bakery

Buddha-killing MixologistsJeannie O’Halloran (“The Bloody Buddha”)Rarian Rakista (“Cloudy Day”)Amanda Schuster (“Blood & Sacrifice”)

And Poster & Program DesignDanica Novgorodoffwww.danicanovgorodoff.com

Video DesignDavid Olson

Stage ManagerKurt Bradley

Event SupportBen Van HeuvelenRachel Signer

I never believed for a minute. —TheChrisValle

W h a t - i n g t h e W h o ?The idea of “killing the Buddha” comes from a famous Zen line, the context of which is easy to imagine. After years on his cushion, a monk has what he believes is a breakthrough: a glimpse of nirvana, the Buddhamind, the big pay-off. Reporting the experience to his master, however, he is informed that what has happened is par for the course, nothing special, maybe even damaging to his pursuit. And then the master gives the student dismaying advice: If you meet the Buddha, he says, kill him.

Why kill the Buddha? Because the Buddha you meet is not the true Buddha, but an expression of your longing. If this Buddha is not killed he will only stand in your way.

Why Killing the Buddha? For our purposes, killing the Buddha is a metaphor for moving past the complacency of belief or unbelief, for struggling honestly with the fact of religion. It’s everywhere around us, like it or not. For ten years, Killing the Buddha has been struggling with religion through essays, fiction, reportage, and photography. We preach no dogma other than the need to tell great stories.

Catholicism like herpes: flaring or dormant. —Mary Valle

A Note on the Six-Word Testimonies: In the spirit of SMITH Magazine‘s Six-Word Memoir® project, KtB invited readers to describe their

spiritual journeys--in six words (or less). A selection of responses is included thoughout this program.

B l o o d & S a c r i f i c eBlended Scotch (Dewars will do)Orange JuiceItalian Amaro (Nonino, Nardini, Mirto, or even an Italian vermouth like Carpano Antico)Dash of orange or Angustura bitters

Submitted by Amanda Schuster (www.peachesplums.blogspot.com)

Official KtB Spectacular Cocktail

Invocation by Reverend Osagyefo Uhuru SekouRev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou is the Senior Minister of Lemuel Haynes Congrega-tional Church (UCC) in South Jamaica Queens, New York. He is a third-genera-tion ordained Elder in the Church of God in Christ. Rev. Sekou holds fellowships with the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, The Fellowship of Reconciliation, and the Institute for Policy Studies. His forthcoming book is Gods, Gays, and Guns: Religion and the Future of Democracy.

Gabriel KahaneGabriel Kahane writes and performs music. Current projects include commissions for Kronos Quartet, Los Angeles Philharmonic, American Composers’ Orchestra, and a musical, February House, which will premiere at the Public Theater in the Fall of 2011. He is a 2010 MacDowell Colony Fellow.

Eileen MylesEileen Myles’ Inferno (a poet’s novel) is out this fall from orbooks.com. She lives in New York.

David Prince, Attempt at Perpetual Motion, video (2009)David Prince is a sculptor, explorer, lumberjack, amateur scientist, community arts advocate, and inventor, whose artworks aim to offer creative and often fantastical solutions to both real and impossible situations. He received an MFA in Sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2006 and a BA from Colorado College in 2001 and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.

Eugene MirmanEugene Mirman is a comedian, writer, and the world’s foremost Eugene-named entertainer. Sometimes, he acts. He played the landlord on HBO’s Flight of the Conchords and had his own half-hour special on Comedy Central. Currently, he’s a regular on Adult Swim’s Delocated and does the voice of Gene on Fox’s upcoming animated series Bob’s Burgers. In 2009 the Village Voice (with its dying breath) named Eugene the Best New York City comedian.

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Bumping into things in the dark. —Jay

Gangstagrass featuring tomasia Gangstagrass is a bluegrass/hip-hop hybrid famous for making the theme song to the hit FX Network series Justified. Tomasia is a Brooklyn-based hip-hop emcee and activist featured on several Gangstagrass tracks.

Larry Smith and six-word testimonies Larry Smith is the founder of SMITH Magazine (smithmag.net), an online community obsessed with personal storytelling, and home of the Six-Word Memoir® project and book series.

A word from the KtBniks

Colonel Q’s Live AuctionCol. Quince Mountain is a KtB senior editor who graduated from Worldwide College of Auctioneering in 1996.

Bitch and the lighting of the menorahBitch is a performance artist who has toured the world with her music, as Bitch, Bitch and Animal, and Bitch and The Exciting Conclusion. She has released records on Kill Rock Stars, Righteous Babe Records, and now her own label, Short Story Records. She is currently writing a play, and making a documentary about one of her idols, Ferron.

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d e c a l o g u e

I know nothing and am grateful. —Adam Svherr

Vivian ChumErik HansonKathryn JoycePiper Kermanthe LumberjackAshley MakarPaul Morris

S i x - W o rd te s t i f i e r sAnn NeumannJosh Garrett-DavisLisa QiuMary ValleMichael VazquezBrook Wilensky-LanfordAlexander Zaitchik

and more!

Rench

K i l l i n g t h e B u d d h a t i m e l i n eNovember 13, 2000Peter Manseau, Jeff Sharlet, and Jeremy Brothers launch Killing the Buddha.

September, 20019/10: Jeff and Peter sell Killing the Buddha: A Heretic’s Bible to Free Press. 9/11: Jeff moves from Washington to NYC as a new base of operations for the book. After 9/11: KtB publishes several pieces about the attacks that are republished across the country.

August 5, 2008

Resurrection celebrated with a

reading at Pacific Standard in Brooklyn. N

athan Schneider, a longtim

e KtB fan, responds to plea for tech help.

April, 2010

KtB publishes its first pamphlet, Lydia

Conklin’s The Living C

ain, with a party

at the Nook &

Cranny Backyard Box—

the first KtB launch party to invite both readers and their dogs.

December 7, 2010Tonight—the Tin

Anniversary Spectacular!

Winter–Sum

mer, 2002

Jeff and Peter set off on a road trip across the country to w

rite A H

eretic’s Bible.

January 18, 2003Jeff Sharlet and Paul M

orris accept an Utne Reader

Independent Spirit Aw

ard for “Best Online C

ultural C

overage” at the Farimont H

otel in San Francisco.

January 16, 2009KtB redesign launched. Traffic quadrupled by the sum

mer.

January 9, 2008KtB dies.

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January 13, 2004Killing the Buddha: A Heretic’s Bible is published and launched with a party at Amy Scheibe’s house.

June 29, 2009Believer, Beware: First-Person Dispatches from the Margins of Faith launch party in New York City at Le Poisson Rouge. Released by Beacon Press on July 1.

o n w a rd a n d u p w a rd . . .With your support, we hope to continue what we’re doing and to take KtB to new heights, such as:

• enhancing KtB’s prison writing program and publishing more work from marginalized communities;

• sponsoring retreats to support large-scale projects by KtB contributors;

• hosting a broader variety of media (increased video/audio/visual art);

• organizng more events, including readings, art exhibits, film screenings, and lectures around the country;

• continuing to collaborate with major publishing houses to produce more original books and anthologies;

• publishing new chapbooks and pamphlets.

Judaism: Every bagel has its hole. —TrixieEnough answers already; need more questions. —Cathy Griffith

Join us for the next decade of Buddha-killing!

SponSor SArchbishop ($1,000+)

AnonymousAnonymous

Mani & Ruth Subramanian

Imam ($500+)Anonymous

Brahmin ($100+)Julie Byrne

Micky CooperValerie Cortes Graham &

Bryan Amren Graham Bill Mazza Mary Valle

auc t ion d onor SRita BeaberDixon Place

Joanna EbensteinBecky GarrisonSteve Giovinco

Jenny Bee’s BakeryMolly LarkeyMarc Pilaro

Mary QuarterlySusan Morningstar

Penguin GroupAlyce Santoro

Adam ShiverdeckerMargaret Valle

James J. Williams IIIand more!

Med ia SponSor S

We are all made of stars. —D. McConeghy