American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 9 (1988) Winner
Benjamin Hoff
ベンジャミン・ホフ
Benjamin Hoff
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1946-11-11
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Sylvan-Highlands, Portland, Oregon → Eugene, Oregon (studied at University of Oregon) → Olympia, Washington (The Evergreen State College)
Career
- Occupations
- Author, Photographer, Musician, Editor, Reporter
- Active Years
- 1960-2006
- Influenced By
- A. A. Milne (author of Winnie-the-Pooh), Taoist thought, Opal Whiteley
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Evergreen State College | Faculty | Asian Art | B.A. | 1970-1973 | United States |
| University of Oregon | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Portland Museum Art School (now Pacific Northwest College of Art) | — | Fine Arts | — | — | United States |
The Evergreen State College
Faculty
/ Asian Art
Degree:
B.A.
Period:
1970-1973
Year of Graduation:
1973
Country:
United States
Obtained B.A. in Asian Art
University of Oregon
Country:
United States
Attended; degree status unclear
Portland Museum Art School (now Pacific Northwest College of Art)
Fine Arts
Country:
United States
Studied fine arts
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | American Book Award | The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow | — | Before Columbus Foundation | 受賞 |
American Book Award
1988
Work:
The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Tao of Pooh
1982 Philosophy/Essay (introduction to Eastern thought)Uses the characters of Winnie-the-Pooh to introduce Taoism in an accessible, humorous way, presenting Eastern philosophy to Western readers.
TaoSimplicityHarmony with nature
The Te of Piglet
1992 Philosophy/Essay (Taoist exposition)A follow-up to The Tao of Pooh that explores the concept of 'Te' (virtue/inner power) through the character Piglet.
Te (virtue)Inner strengthHumility
The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow
1986 BiographyA biography of Opal Whiteley based on her life and diary, reexamining her life and writings.
BiographyNatureLiterary history
The Way to Life
1981 Essay/PhilosophyAn early collection of essays focused on Taoist ideas and reverence for nature.
TaoNature
The House on the Point
2002 Fiction/NovelA work from the 2000s with fictional elements concerning a house and its surrounding land.
Place and memoryHuman relationships
The Eternal Tao Te Ching
2021 Translation/CommentaryA modern translation and commentary on Laozi's Tao Te Ching.
TaoismClassical translation
Bibliography
- 1981 The Way to Life
- 1982 The Tao of Pooh
- 1986 The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow
- 1993 The Te of Piglet
- 2002 The House on the Point
- 2021 The Eternal Tao Te Ching
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Plainspoken, conversational toneUse of humor to explain ideasExplaining Eastern thought for Western audiences
- Recurring Motifs
- NatureSimplicity and wu-wei (non-action)Animals (notably Winnie-the-Pooh)
Legacy
Introduced Taoist ideas to a general readership in an accessible way, contributing to popular understanding of Taoism. The Tao of Pooh became an international bestseller, and he won the American Book Award in 1988 for The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow.
Archives
- Oregon Historical Society Archives (correspondence and materials related to Benjamin Hoff are referenced)
In Popular Culture
- Use of Winnie-the-Pooh characters to popularize Eastern philosophy
Trivia
- In the 1960s he was involved with the rock–pop band The United Travel Service.
- Reached certificate level in the Japanese tea ceremony.
- Studied and practiced tai chi and qigong.
- Published an essay 'Farewell to Authorship' in 2006 announcing his resignation from book-writing.