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Rick Fields

1942 – 1999

American journalist, poet and historian

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About Rick Fields

Lived 1942 – 1999 (aged 56–57). Rick Fields was a writer and poet.

Rick Fields (May 16, 1942 – June 6, 1999) was an American journalist, poet, and historian specializing in the history of Buddhism in the United States.

Biography Born Frederick Douglas Fields in Queens, New York, he attended Andrew Jackson High School, where he was a track athlete, and later enrolled at Harvard University but was expelled in 1964.

After leaving Harvard, Fields moved to New York City and associated with poets Allen Ginsberg and Gary Snyder. He also worked as an editor for publications including Yoga Journal and New Age Journal, and was editor-in-chief of the Vajradhatu Sun, later renamed the Shambhala Sun. Additionally, he taught at the Naropa Institute's Jack Kerouac School in Boulder, Colorado. Other works include Chop Wood, Carry Water (1984), Code of the Warrior (1991), The Awakened Warrior (1994), The Turquoise Bee: The Love Poems of the Sixth Dalai Lama (1994, with Brian Cutillo), and Instructions to the Cook: A Zen Master's Lessons in Living a Life That Matters (1996, with Bernard Glassman).

In his later years, Fields wrote poetry addressing his experiences with cancer from a Buddhist perspective.

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Important facts

Born
1942
Birth century
Died
1999
Occupation

People in Rick Fields's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Rick Fields's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Rick Fields?

American journalist, poet and historian

When was Rick Fields born?

Rick Fields was born in 1942.

When did Rick Fields die?

Rick Fields died in 1999.

What was Rick Fields's occupation?

Rick Fields was a writer and poet.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Rick Fields

· Wikidata: Q113155680

· DBpedia: Rick Fields

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Rick Fields. https://biography.guide/rick-fields/

MLA: "Rick Fields." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/rick-fields/.

Chicago: "Rick Fields." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/rick-fields/.

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