Appeal for the Crooked Cucumber Archives from Michael Katz

Please join me in supporting the work of David Chadwick on the legacy of his teacher, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. David recently lost his rent-free living and working situation, but he has been doing work of great value without name, description, or paycheck for many years.      

David continues to seek out and interview every person Shunryu Suzuki knew or practiced with long after his books stopped supporting him.  He’s had occasional help from individuals and Zen centers in Suzuki’s lineage, but, basically, he runs on a frayed shoe-string.

Naturally suited to this task by his gift for forming connections with people, David follows his subjects and dharma friends wherever they go. He bridges all of the groups which practice Suzuki’s teaching, stays in touch with early sangha members, regularly visits them in old folks homes and hospices, ensures that none feel, or are, forgotten, recording and adding their latest recollections to the record.

More than an oral historian, David is unofficial guardian angel of Shunryu Suzuki’s lecture archive, bringing his indispensible long-term familiarity. David’s continuing devotion as chronicler, archivist, and storyteller reveals an ever-greater teacher. The record of Suzuki Roshi’s life and teaching is an inexhaustible source for any seeker.

David has put online the larger record of Suzuki Roshi’s life and teaching, completely free. His many layered website, Cuke.com, is full of treasure, and David has begun to overhaul the site to make it easier to use. Also, David will publish in book form the best new stories from the interviews as well as further notes to Crooked Cucumber.

Please help me support David’s activity. I know that the community of those interested in Shunryu Suzuki is large and generous enough to accomplish this. A few people can give thousands, some a few hundred, and many can give small recurring payments. We can make this work. As a start, let’s see David through the next three years' projected work that he describes in his own letter.

Thank you for giving this matter your kind attention,

Michael Katz

April 4, 2012

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David Chadwick April 2012 appeal for support.