Journal of Transnational American Studies

This article explores and compares the transnational ontologies, rhetorical strategies, and literary forms of political activism in the work of Allen Ginsberg and Maxine Hong Kingston, focusing on Ginsberg’s poems “Wichita Vortex Sutra” and “Iron Horse” and Kingston’s 2003 novel, The Fifth Book of Peace. It traces their critiques of Cold War / Vietnam War US foreign policies and their attempts at fostering transnational communities and solidarity to their respective understandings of Buddhist philosophy and its practical applications, more specifically, the concept of dependent origination or “interbeing.” After situating both authors’ works within the framework of transnational relations during the Cold War period, I analyze their respective approaches to undoing difference across borders, political alliances, and cultural groups and demonstrate how their interpretations of Buddhist ethics translate into forms of discourse and activism.