A Commonplace Book

Maitreyabandhu’s Commonplace Book, his first book-length poem, follows a year from the death of his Buddhist teacher while he navigates his own spiritual life and smarts at lost love. In a commonplace book, you’d write a recipe, copy a proverb, jot down housekeeping advice, making a precious object out of ordinary things. Part epyllion, part diary, Maitreyabandhu’s Commonplace Book mingles tradition with innovation, comedy with tragedy, traversing the bardo between this life and the next.

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