He Put My Buddha in the Freezer
The dreamer in all of us has probably at least once fantasized about making it in Hollywood: chummy lunches with celebrities, the red carpet, movie premiers, galas, paparazzi. He Put My Buddha in the Freezer is a book that everyone’s inner dreamer will appreciate — and maybe even learn from. This is the real-life story of a young woman’s Herculean efforts to make that fantasy a reality.
Amy Karl was born and raised in Chicago, a town big enough to have a fine symphony orchestra, theatres and fine restaurants — but small enough and Midwestern enough to quash most grandiose ideas of fame and fortune. Amy wasn’t allowing doubt and lack of encouragement to stop her from pursuing her dream, though. She wanted to be an actress.
Her acceptance into the American Conservatory Theatre catapulted her, starry-eyed and eager, to Los Angeles where she spent a decade circling her fantasy, working with Amanda Peet and chatting up Woody Harrelson, all while selling real estate to millionaires. He Put My Buddha in the Freezer is the intimate, joyful, heartbreaking narrative of those years. The roller coaster ride begins when she meets the man she names her first chapter after:
… it may as well have been a different world, one that screamed “I made it.” Minutes later, Richard and I were driving down Sunset in his gold Mercedes convertible. The top was down, and the band Air was cranking over the stereo system. I felt like I’d arrived.
Karl writes like that ride, in a hurry to get her story told, and she carries her readers — eager, curious and maybe a little jealous — along with her.
She divides the book into chakras, and for the uninitiated, chakras are focal points on the body used in ancient meditation practices. According to yogis, Buddhists, New Age philosophers and a surprising portion of the world’s population, each chakra controls various aspects of our lives. Readers don’t have to know anything about chakras to enjoy the book, but just in case:
| Chakra | Location | Controls |
|---|---|---|
| Root | base of spine | money, independence, food |
| Sacral | lower abdomen | creativity, sexuality, well-being |
| Solar Plexus | above the navel | confidence, self-worth |
| Heart | chest | love, joy, inner peace |
| Throat | throat | communication, self-expression |
| Third Eye | forehead | intuition, wisdom |
| Crown | top of skull | inner beauty, spiritual connection |
Each chapter is named for a chakra and a man she loved — or a man who may have loved her. At the end of the book, Karl explains the connection each man has to the corresponding chakra, but it’s fun to search for the connections as you read.
While Amy Karl searches for her footing in the male-dominated world of Hollywood, she solidifies her friendships with her female friends, she discovers her own vulnerabilities and she learns about strengths she didn’t know she had. Readers will be struggling to hold on to their confidence in Karl’s efforts, watching her kick over those pesky red flags that are getting in the way of her journey to Hollywood stardom.
By chakras 4 and 5, however, Karl and her readers and her friends and family are beginning to see the light.
He Put My Buddha in the Freezer is a collection of voyeuristic visits to the scenes of Karl’s adventures — the jumble of houses beneath the Hollywood sign, the patio at Chateau Marmont, movie sets and an intensive day of White Tantric yoga in New Mexico. It is also a chance to educate our inner dreamers about that Hollywood fantasy and what it might take to satisfy chakras 4 through 7.
Visit Amy Karl’s BookTrib author profile page.
