Traveling in Bardo

“Traveling in Bardo offers a wise and compassionate roadmap to navigating the shocks, U-turns, and upheavals that life invariably delivers. A brilliant and generous guide, Ann Tashi Slater brings us with her to monasteries in Darjeeling, into the rhythms of urban Tokyo, and into her own past as she explores how learning to face death and ephemerality can catalyze the rebirth of a richer self. This book is an indispensable companion, one that teaches us to find beauty and joy even in life’s unpredictability and losses.”–Bianca Bosker, New York Times bestselling author of Get the Picture“A rich and freewheeling meditation on life, death, and impermanence.”–Publisher’s Weekly“A fascinating contemplation about death that really is all about “plunging into life.” Liberating, refreshing, exquisitely written, Traveling in Bardo reverberates like a mindfulness bell. A wondrous read!“–Sandra Cisneros, writer/activist and author of The House on Mango Street and Woman Without Shame“Brilliant and compassionate, philosophical and practical, Ann Tashi Slater takes us on a modern-day journey through bardo. Drawing upon ancient tradition, her family’s deep lineage within Tibetan Buddhism, and her own experiences of unexpected grief and joy, she gives us a map (just when we most need one!) of how to not only survive but thrive in times of great upheaval and uncertainty. Both gemstone and touchstone, this book is a gift.”–Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author“Not only has Ann Tashi Slater written her very own contemporary Book of the Dead, but she shows us how the ancient wisdom applies to our lives. And all the while, we are enthralled by her evocative writing–she’s a Scheherazade storyteller. I will be giving this book to friends who find themselves grappling with losses, and to other companions on my journey who need the refreshment of a new perspective or a big cool pour of faith and wisdom. I can’t think of one person whom I wouldn’t want to read this timely and timeless book.”–Julia Alvarez, bestselling author of In the Time of the Butterflies and The Cemetery of Untold Stories.“An elegant and heartening exploration of how the wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism speaks to the ceaseless change of our lives and our painful grasping for permanence. Ann Tashi Slater is a wise and humble guide, and her lucid and compassionate perspective is a wellspring to return to again and again. What a gift this book is.”–Melissa Febos, bestselling author of Girlhood and The Dry Season“Powerfully merging the personal and the universal, Traveling in Bardo brings to life stories of Ann Tashi Slater’s past, her Tibetan ancestors, and The Tibetan Book of the Dead, demonstrating what it means to live fully amidst the impermanence and unpredictability of existence.”–Sharon Salzberg, bestselling author of Lovingkindness and Real Life

Ann Tashi Slater has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Paris Review, Tin House, Guernica, AGNI, Granta, and many others. Her work has been featured in Lit Hub and included in The Best American Essays. In her Darjeeling Journal column for Catapult, she writes about her Tibetan family history and bardo, and she blogged for the HuffPost about similar topics. She presents and teaches workshops at Princeton, Columbia, Oxford, the Asia Society, and The American University of Paris, among others. She’s a regular speaker at NYC’s Rubin Museum of Art, which has a special focus on Tibetan culture; her highly popular Rubin presentations have been mentioned in The New York Times.