In this fascinating two-hour talk given at the San Francisco Zen Center, the award-winning writer Peter Matthiessen focuses on the challenges and the rewards of creativity. The author of both fiction and nonfiction works believes that the practice of Zen has enriched his perception of reality and his ability to live in the present moment.

Matthiessen discusses and reads excerpts from some of his books on the natural world, indigenous peoples, wild animals, and his crusades for justice. At one point, he quotes E. M. Forster on literature as administering "a series of tiny astonishments." Matthiessen keeps a small journal in his pocket at all times to catch passing sights, sounds, and images. He cultivates a beginner's mind and advocates doing everything with wholeheartedness. Although his nonfiction work, such as The Snow Leopard, has been widely praised, he talks a lot about his novels. Both the mystery of human nature and the unknowability of the natural world are explored in all of his writings.