Novelist takes Zen trip to time-warped soul of America

Zen writer talks about life, Zen, and writing.

'When I came here, I was 40, I had no job, I hadn't finished a single book, I had no visible prospects, and I was living somewhat of a bohemian life,' says Murphy, who met his British wife, Tania Casselle, in Taos. 'Ironically, it was my Zen teachers who really encouraged my writing. I was hiding out on the fringes of society, digging in my heels, and they pushed me out of the nest.'