Peter Manseau and Jeff Sharlet read

by Alex Richmond

books

If you see Peter Manseau and Jeff Sharlet along the road, kill them.

Just kidding. That allegory is the story of the monk who thought he saw the Buddha and ran babbling to tell everyone. Another monk slaps him. OK, you saw the Buddhamind. Kill him. Similar proverbs exist for drug addicts and writers. For MDMA abusers, it's "when you get the call from God, hang up the phone." Writers use "kill your darlings." It works across the board. You can't keep the same high, or be in love with your own words, or see the Buddha on the road forever. After that known glimpse of greatness, it's time to move it along.

But let's back up for a minute: The Internet is a place where a few can freely express themselves, and millions can easily access those ideas. Easy and wide-reaching, yes. Democratic and universal, not always. KillingTheBuddha.com was created by Manseau and Sharlet because they felt (rightly so) that religion isn't covered well in the press. The result is a mix of personal essays and obtuse confessionals, some of which suffer from a typical snarky Internet literary tone, crossed with post-ironic Brooklyn hipster disease. Killing the Buddha the book (Free Press) is part road trip, part anthology, with contributions by some of the sharpest voices in modern literature. (Suicide Blonde author Darcey Steinke has appeared at some of the readings on the tour.)

Expect a non-traditional reading. Sharlet says they do hold the book, as some audiences feel uncomfortable facing down authors who aren't tethered to their texts, but that may be as ordinary as it gets. There's the "cacophony choir," the author's answer to the question, "What does religion sound like?" The answer is part gospel standard "There is Power in the Blood," part The Who song "Baba O'Reilly."

Peter Manseau and Jeff Sharlet read Mon., March 8, 6:30 p.m., free, Philadelphia City Institute Library, 1905 Locust St., 215-685-6621.

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