Charlotte Joko Beck

Charlotte Joko Beck (1917–2011) was born in New Jersey and studied at the Oberlin Conservatory. After her marriage ended, she supported her four children through work as a teacher, secretary, and administrative assistant at a large university. In her forties, she began studying Zen under Maezumi Roshi. She was later appointed one of Maezumi Roshi’s Dharma heirs and taught at a Zen center in San Diego until 2006. Her best-known books include *Everyday Zen* and *Ordinary Mind*.