ZMMQ News Archive

ZMMQ News & News Archive: News Related to the ZMM Quality Website, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig and to Other Work by Sitemaster Henry Gurr.

A) When major new Pirsig, ZMM, or related, information is found, or any new material (text or pages) is added to this ZMM Quality website and gallery, I will announce it on this news page as soon as possible.

B) And if I become aware of new information regarding Robert Pirsig and his book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, that information will be placed here also.

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Aug 2022

New Rock Musical Inspired by Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

"Staring Into Nothing, the new musical/rock opera, explores the impact of mass media, social media and the digital information age on the quality of our lives …The idea of writing a musical/rock opera that explores the philosophical concept of "Quality" began with one of Steve's favorite books: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig." The rock opera will debut a Los Angeles’s El Portal theatre in October. New Musical “Staring Into Nothing” Set to Debut at the El Portal Theatre”

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Aug 2022

Previously Unreleased Photo by John Sutherland Surfaces

The Sutherland family has provided ZMMQuality with a previously unreleased image that appears to be from the 1968 motorcycle trip west described in the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig. Sylvia Sutherland is on left wearing sun glasses; Robert M. Pirsig is on right wearing his black beret which he mentions once in the book. Pirsig's cycle is his 1966 Honda CB77 Superhawk. The Sutherlands' BMW R60/2 cycle is obscured by its load of luggage, one of the indications that this image is probably from that 1968 road trip. The image is taken from a copy, not the original photo. John Sutherland was an avid photographer, and took many photos from that famous motorcycle ride west but is often not credited for them. The family has set up a Facebook memorial page for John Sutherland.

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ZMMQuality Website Updates

Jan 2023
NEW! A new section has been added to our Sidebar Menu (on left) entitled Special Studies. It currently includes articles on 1.) Why the Abrupt 90 Degree Turn at Bend, Oregon? 2.) The Father-Son Relationship: Why is the Narrator So Bad to Chris? 3.) Robert M. Pirsig’s Main Thread: Quality, Reality & Good Old Reality and 4.) Robert M. Pirsig’s Works Seen as Fruition of American Pragmatism.

Aug 2022
UPDATED! How to Find the Bozeman Gallatin National Forest (GNF) Mountain Climbing Route of Chris and the Narrator That Fits Their Climb Narrative in the Book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZMM) by Robert Pirsig
Henry Gurr has overhauled, abbreviated and revised the ZMMQuality webpage discussing the possible mountain hike trail route Robert M. Pirsig and Chris took in the Cottonwood Canyon/Gallatin National Forest, in 1968 as described in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. We’re looking for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts to help us with on-site research to confirm the hypothetical trail route. Includes links to a new Google Earth trail map. If you have Google Earth, you can view a map with waypoints on the hike here.

June 2022
UPDATED! The Deep Influence of FSC Northrop’s The Meeting of East and West on ZMM
Henry Gurr believes Pirsig derived about 20%-30% of his ideas about Quality from FSC Northrop’s book The Meeting of East and West. In his updated discussion of FSC Northrop, Gurr asks if Northrop’s “undifferentiated aesthetic continuum” might be the prototype for Pirsig’s Quality. Gurr also cites Understanding Buddhism author Nolan Pliny Jacobson’s discussion of Northrop.

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Updated Aug 2022

Recent Articles

Profile of preservationist Margie Smith who helped save the “great stack of the Anaconda smelter” in Anaconda, MT as mentioned in Ch. 22 of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
“Margie Smith Honored for Tenacious Historic Preservation Work in Anaconda”

Yellowstone saw torrential rain and flooding in June that washed out roads, devastated infrastructure and closed sections of the national park. Northern Yellowstone and the towns of Gardiner, Cooke City, and Red Lodge, MT were particularly hard hit. These are towns Robert M. Pirsig and company passed through on July 12, 1968 riding the Beartooth Highway on the motorcycle trip described in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Their economies are highly dependent on summer tourist traffic. “Yellowstone’s Gateway Communities Seeing Economic Impact from Flooding Closures”

For journalist Jake Godin, long motorcycle treks taking the secondary roads is a family affair. Note how this Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance fan almost unconsciously paraphrases Robert M. Pirsig's oft quoted lines about the experience on a motorcycle. Nice reference to William Least Heat-Moon's Blue Highways as well. "Jake Godin Takes Long + Winding Roads"

Doug Bates examines Aristotle's influence on Ancient Greek thought and introduces us to the school of Pyrrhonism that he argues Robert M. Pirsig would have found a good fit with in “Robert Pirsig and the Ancient Greeks Who Also Knew Aristotle Was Messing with Our Minds.” Bates is the author of Pyrrho’s Way: The Ancient Greek Version of Buddhism …a link to the intro of his book is at the end of the article.

Austin, TX based psychologist and writer Dr. David Zuniga explains how Robert M. Pirsig’s book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance convinced him to to take up Zen Buddhism in his Zen for Daily Living column in the Austin American Statesman: Zen for Daily Living ZMM. (July 2022)

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June 2022

Dennis Davis Video Posted on MSU, Pirsig & ZMM

Cloud Nine Media Arts film producer Dennis Davis’s short clip (1 min 40 sec) entitled MSU, Robert Pirsig & ZMM is newly posted to YouTube. The video isn’t just an introduction to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Robert Pirsig’s goals with the book, but also is a good introduction to ZMMQuality’s Henry Gurr and why he wrote a biography of Pirsig’s Montana State colleague Sarah Vinke. MSU, Robert Pirsig & ZMM.

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May 2022

Enviable Photos from ZMM Fan’s Pilgrimage to Bozeman, MT

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance fan Jason Kirin shared the following photos from a trip he took to Bozeman, MT last year: Jason Kirin’s Photos

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Apr 2022

New Video from ZMMQuality’s Henry Gurr, “Theory of How Our Mind Works”

As you will eventually come to realize, Mr. Robert Pirsig’s two books Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Lila have practically the beginnings of a “Theory of How Our Mind Works”, AND have conclusions that nicely support Henry Gurr’s "View (Theory) of How Our Mind Works”. In this video, Henry Gurr presents a lecture titled: “Based on Direct Observation: A New, Vital View (Theory) Into ‘How Our Mind Works In the Creation of Conscious Awareness’: A Description With Audience Participation, Mind Demonstrations, But Mostly Not An Explanation.” Links to further reading are supplied with this video. VIDEO: Theory of How Our Mind Works.

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Jan 2022

Video Walk-Through of DeWeese Art Exhibit Posted

A video walkthrough of the recent "Friends Reunited" show at the Marguerite Kirk & Paul Harris Gallery featuring the modern art of Robert DeWeese, Gennie DeWeese, and Paul Harris, video courtesy of art historian Michele Corriel and Sarah Friedrich.

Tina DeWeese comments...

"As I've told Michele many times, being in this gallery with this work made me feel like being in the archetypal living room of my life! Such a comfort to see this work up on the wall again. Like Mom and Dad's studios through the years, this work is presented as spontaneously as they produced it...as if, in her curatorial genius, Michele caught the same wave that carried them through the decades of spirit and vitality of their times. Much gratitude again to Michele and Sarah and Paul Harris and family for making this show happen."

VIDEO: “Friends Reunited” Exhibit.

Michele Corriel's book on modern artists in Montana that includes the DeWeeses is set to be published soon.

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Jan 2022

ZMMQuality’s Top 9 of 2021

1.Posthumous RMP Book On Quality to Be Published in 2022
2. Paul F. Johnston article "Chrome and Black and Dusty" reveals new Pirsig photos and background
3. ZMM Rainsuit, Goggles, Pirsig’s Tools Sold at Auction in January
4. 30th Anniversary of Lila: An Inquiry into Morals by Robert M. Pirsig
5. Des Molloy Book Zen and the Last Hurrah Published
6. DeWeese Papers donated to MSU library.
7. DeWeese Art exhibited in Montana
8. Early "Pirsig Pilgrim" Gary Wegner Website Back Up.
9. Buffalo Return to Rocky Boy Reservation

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Dec 2021

Dennis Davis Video of Road to the DeWeeses Posted to ZMMQuality Facebook Page

Video from Dennis Davis of Pirsig's Journey of the road to the DeWeese home in the Cottonwood Canyon of Gallatin Gateway in Montana. Imagine a couple motorcycles cruising up this road to visit the DeWeeses, Robert and Gennie, artists and old friends of Robert M. Pirsig. Davis shot the footage by mounting a drone on the roof of his car. Pirsig's Journey is a project to create a documentary about Robert M. Pirsig and his book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. We encourage anyone so inclined to donate to support the project. Learn more here: Pirsig’s Journey website
VIDEO: Road to the DeWeese Home

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Dec 2021

Friend’s Blog Gives Insight into Robert Pirsig, Nancy James Pirsig

Fascinating glimpses of Robert M. Pirsig and especially his first wife Nancy James Pirsig from life-long friend artist Carol Gearing AKA Caroling. A true treasure trove of memories. Caroling Blog

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Dec 2021

LA Review of Books Editor Picks ZMM Essay for Philosophy Top Ten List

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, the LA Review of Books asked their editors to select their top ten articles. We're not surprised that Philosophy and Comparative Studies editor Costica Bradatan picked "Zen and the Art of Higher Education" by Jennifer Ratner Rosenhagen for her list. Published the summer after Robert M. Pirsig's passing in 2018, Ratner Rosenhagen's essay eloquently answered the question "What value does Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance have today?", a fitting tribute to Pirsig's legacy. Zen and the Art of Higher Education.

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Dec 2021

New On Quality Cover Posted on Amazon Preorder Website

A new cover has been posted for On Quality: An Inquiry into Excellence, Unpublished and Selected Writings by Robert M. Pirsig, edited by Wendy K. Pirsig on the Amazon preorder website.. The posthumous volume will be released in April 2022 just after the 5th anniversary of Robert M. Pirsig's passing in 2017. Preorder is available from Amazon here.

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Nov 2021

NEW TESTIMONIAL ON READING ZMM 42 YEARS LATER

Special thanks to Clive PL Young for sharing the following testimonial:

ON REREADING ZMM 42 YEARS LATER
I first read ‘ZMM’ on a rail trip through Italy in 1979, and recall finishing the book, rivetted, in a park in Rome. Despite my repeated declarations that it was my "favourite" or "most influential" book, I didn't return to it until recently. I guess I was afraid that Pirsig's work would be outmoded or even ludicrous, exposing my youthful innocence. However, the 40 years in between provided a unique perspective. I was surprised, comforted and a little spooked how much of Pirsig’s worldview had become enmeshed with my own attitudes and experiences. Whether inspiration or alignment is hard to say, I can’t go back to 70s Italy and un-read the book. ZMM is subtitled, ‘An Inquiry into Values’ and Pirsig focuses on ‘Quality’ as an undefinable unifying, almost god-like concept unifying perception and ‘the real world’. However, this was for me, both me then and me now, the weakest aspect. ZMM has several interlocking gears such as the idea of ‘experienced’ journey as discovery, a challenge the binary orthodoxy of technology vs art, the history of philosophical thought, the limits of belief and of logic, iconoclasm and its risks, academic cultures, a poignant father-son relationship, a mediation on mental illness and recovery and an exemplary storytelling structure. All of these contribute to the book’s readability, teaching and (apart from the Greek philosophy, perhaps) engagement. But its true power is as a model for problem-solving. It was for me ‘An Inquiry into Inquiry’ how to think the about problems that life throws at you. A jammed screw, an uncomfortable conversation, a tricky personal relationship, a limiting preconception. How to approach subjects outside your comfort zone, learning both critically but with an open ‘beginners’’ mind, how to maintain spiritual and mental wellbeing. I never got into Buddhism (much) or motorcycles, but I did take away (or at least recognised) from ZMM a way of thinking that has served me well in both my personal and professional lives. Interestingly I was drawn to the fields of educational technology (where I work) and social linguistics (where I write) both of which are rife with the ‘wicked’ (insoluble, sometimes indefinable) boundary problems that Pirsig identifies.

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Nov 2021

Smithsonian Archivist Publishes Article on Robert M. Pirsig and Motorcycles

The Smithsonian's Paul F. Johnston worked closely with the Pirsig family to document Robert M. Pirsig's relationship with the motorcycle, published in the International Journal of Motorcycle Studies. Much detail about Pirsig's life and many, many previously unreleased photos. Pirsig fans will want read the lengthy article in full: "Chrome and Black and Dusty: Robert Pirsig’s Motorcycle Heritage."
Johnston also earlier published an article about Pirsig and sailing: "‘If Boat is Going Down’ -Bikes, Boats and Robert Pirsig."

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Nov 2021

Buffalo Reintroduced at Rocky Boy Reservation

Eleven buffalo were reintroduced to the Chippewa-Cree Rocky Boy Reservation in Montana. Robert M. Pirsig writes about his Montana State College colleague Verne Dusenberry in his second book Lila: An Inquiry into Morals:

"The only subject he spoke about with any sincere enthusiasm was Indians, particularly the Rocky Boy Indians, the Chippewa-Cree on the Canadian border about whom he was writing his Ph.D thesis in anthropology. He let it be known that except for the Indians he befriended for twenty-one years of his twenty-three years as a teacher he regarded all these years as a waste of his life.”

We wish to congratulate the Chippewa-Cree Rocky Boy Reservation on sustaining and renewing their traditions with the introduction of these buffalo.

Learn more: Montana Chippewa-Cree Tribe Welcomes Return of Bison to Tribal Lands.

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Oct 2021

30th Anniversary of Lila’s Publication

This October marks the 30th anniversary of Robert M. Pirsig’s second novel, Lila: An Inquiry into Morals, published originally in 1991. Lila saw a long 17-year gestation as a follow up to Pirsig’s smash success with 1974’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. In the novel, Pirsig further develops his ideas on Quality and articulates a Metaphysics of Quality (MOQ). Although championed by many Pirsig fans, Lila never matched the popularity of Pirsig’s first novel. A darker and more brooding vision, Lila was undoubtedly influenced by Pirsig's real life experiences that followed the meteoric success of his first novel, the break up of his marriage and the tragic, untimely death of his son Chris. Pirsig’s protagonist trades the company of a motorcycle ride west for the isolation and contemplation of a sailboat journey down the Hudson.

ZMMQuality will mark Lila’s 30th Anniversary with some special new content. MOQ expert and editor of Lila’s Child: An Inquiry into Quality, Dan Glover Reflects on Lila's 30th Anniversary ? in a new essay special to ZMMQuality. We’ll publish a new online comprehensive index to further the study of Lila and Pirsig’s ideas in the book. And, finally, this will be the second year we celebrate #LilaOctober via our social media channels, pairing visuals and passages from the novel. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @ZMMQuality.

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Aug 2021

Yellowstone Art Museum features Gennie DeWeese’s in Matriarchs of Modernism Exhibit

The Yellowstone Art Museum hosted an excellent Matriarchs of Modernism exhibit this summer featuring the art. of Gennie DeWeese among others. Ceramics artist Josh DeWeese, the DeWeeses' youngest son, gave a presentation on his mother for the museum's Gallery Conversations series. We can't improve on Tina DeWeese's description...

"[This] excellent talk by my brother Josh is a thorough and generous biographical overview of the life and art of our mother. He offers insight into the cultural spirit of the times that influenced Mom's lifetime of dedication and passion as a painter and printmaker. Together with her life partner and father of their five kids, Gennie and Bob became a hub of local, state and national community of artists and like minded liberal thinkers of the times.

"Josh's unique perspective as the youngest of five offers crucial and familial insight into the complexity and vitality of their lives. He was deeply influenced by their fundamental premise that ART and LIFE are one and the same, and his life has become testimony to the scribbled note in one of Dad's journals: 'responsibility is the ability to respond'."

VIDEO: Matriarchs of Modernism, Josh DeWeese on Gennie DeWeese.

Pirsig fans will remember that the narrator in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance visits with the DeWeeses when he comes to Bozeman. This also happened in real life in 1968 when Josh DeWeese was still a small child and as documented in Robert M. Pirsig's own photos from that trip.

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Aug 2021

DeWeese Papers Donated to MSU Library

Robert and Gennie DeWeese, Robert M. Pirsig's friends in Bozeman, MT featured in his book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", brought modern art to Montana and were the ringleaders for a social circle of artists and intellectuals who they often entertained at their Cottonwood Canyon home. Some 63 boxes of materials including artwork, exhibition materials and personal correspondence were compiled by daughter Tina DeWeese and donated to the Montana State University Library. The Library has announced the materials are now available for researchers. Learn more: Bob and Gennie DeWeese Papers Open for Research at MSU Library

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Posthumous Robert M. Pirsig Book On Quality to Be Published in 2022

Robert M. Pirsig's final book, "On Quality: An Inquiry into Excellence: Selected and Unpublished Writings" co-authored with his wife Wendy K. Pirsig is slated to be published by Harper Collins in April 2022. It available for preorder on Amazon (link below). Here is the Harper Collins promotional copy for the new book...

“The ultimate goal in the pursuit of excellence is enlightenment.”

Robert M. Pirsig wrote this unpublished line in 1962 while a patient at Downey Veteran Administration Hospital in Illinois, where he was admitted as a psychiatric patient. More than a decade before the release of the book that would make him famous, Pirsig had already caught hold of the central theme that would animate Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: Quality, a concept loosely likened to “excellence,” “rightness,” or “fitness” that Pirsig saw as kindred to the Buddhist ideas of “Dharma” or the “Tao.” As he later wrote in Zen, “Quality is Buddha.”

Though he was hounded by fans who considered him a guru, the famously private Pirsig only published two books and consented to few interviews and almost no public appearances in later decades. Yet he wrote and thought almost continually, refining his “Metaphysics of Quality” until his death in 2017.

Now for the first time, readers will be granted access to five decades of Pirsig’s personal writings in this posthumous collection that illuminates his thinking to an unprecedented degree. Skillfully edited and introduced by Wendy Pirsig, Robert’s wife of over forty years, the collection includes previously unpublished texts, speeches, letters, interviews, and private notes (including from Pirsig’s time in the mental hospital), as well as key excerpts from Zen and the Art of the Motorcycle Maintenance and his second book, Lila.

Since its publication in 1974, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance has established itself as a modern classic of popular philosophy; selling millions of copies and transforming a generation, while serving as a perennial touchstone for the generations that follow. On Quality is a remarkable addition to the literary and philosophical canon, from one of the most influential thinkers and writers of our time.

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Apr 2021

Des Molloy Publishes New Book on his Pirsig Pilgrim Experience

Pirsig Pilgrim Des Molloy's new book entitled Zen and the Last Hurrah: In the Wheel-tracks of Robert Pirsig Across Backcountry America was published in April 2021. Molloy is particularly happy he was able to secure the rights to reprint portions of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig to illustrate portions of the ride. A Kiwi from New Zealand, Molloy's earlier book The Last Hurrah: From Beijing to Arnhem details a 2005 ride from China to Holland on vintage British motorcycles. He's also the author of No One Said it Would Be Easy: A Youthful Folly Across the America on Old Bikes. Check out this blog post for a preview of his new book here....
https://www.kahukupublishing.com/post/happy-to-pay
Zen and the Last Hurrah is available at most major book sellers, but you can order it directly from Molloy’s small publisher if you want to support him most directly:
https://www.kahukupublishing.com/

Originally Posted March 2021, Updated Oct 2021.

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Jan 2021

Top 8 of 2020

1. Influential literary critic George Steiner passes away at the age of 90.
2. Robert M. Pirsig’s ZMM rain suit, goggles and tools to be sold at auction.
3. David McGlynn’s “Quarantine and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” published in New York Times.
4. ZMMQuality collaborator Dennis Gary passes away.
5. Probably welding shop/welder from Ch. 29 of ZMM found.
6. 45th Anniversary of Robert M. Pirsig’s 1975 sailing trip described in Lila: An Inquiry into Morals.
7. Photo of man reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance starts subway readers photo project.
8. DiSanto and Steele's Guidebook to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance turns 30.

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Dec 2020

Pirsig Gear from 1968 Trip, Tools to Be Auctioned

Mecum Auctions has listed one lot of Pirsig's personal affects to be auctioned on January 29, 2021 in Las Vegas, including the rain suit and motorcycle goggles he used on the 1968 trip his book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" was based on, as mentioned in Chapter 4 of the book. The auction will also include many of Pirsig's own tools, manuals, signed copies of his novels "Zen" and "Lila", as well as discarded draft pages from Lila. A lifelong tinkerer, some of the tools are handmade by Pirsig himself, and reflect his ingenuity and frugrality. The announcement of the auction comes one year after a trove of Pirsig artifacts were donated to the Smithsonian: along with Pirsig's Honda CB77 Superhawk motorcycle, his leather jacket from that trip, maps, shop manuals, tools and toolboxes, manuscripts and a signed copy of a first edition of "Zen" were donated.
See photos of all the items up for sale on Mecum's website.
Read Mecum's write up on Robert M. Pirsig here.

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Sept 2020

Guidebook to Zen Marks 30th Anniversary

This September marks 30 years since the 1990 publication of the Guidebook to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Ronald DiSanto and Father Thomas J. Steele, two professors at Regis College, a Jesuit university in Denver. Produced with the assistance and collaboration of Robert M. Pirsig, the Guidebook offers a wealth of resources to appreciate and study Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Philosophy professor DiSanto contributes an opening “Mystical Map” chapter along with two “philosophical backpack” chapters rigorously examining both Eastern Philosophy and Western Philosophy respectively and how they relate to the novel. Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Zen Buddhism are “unpacked” from the Eastern backpack while the nature of reality, sources of knowledge, values and aesthetics are sorted out from the Western backpack. DiSanto includes imagined dialogues between philosophers to spell out these ideas and break up the text while an illustrated Zen Ox herding section precedes the two “backpacks”, introducing Zen ideas about enlightenment. Catnip for Pirsig fans are passages cut from “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” including a full chapter, and a letter from Pirsig to Robert Redford explaining Pirsig’s ideas on how a “Zen” movie would tell the tale. The Guidebook is rounded out by scholarly resources, undoubtedly the contribution of English professor Steele: a chronology with chapter correlations and plot summaries, a map of the trip in the novel (which should have been included with that book), eleven critical essays including one by Steele, a full bibliography of writings on Zen and Pirsig, a topics for further research section that reads like a possible essay topics section out of Cliffs Notes, chapter by chapter footnotes on the novel, and an analytical index for the novel that includes descriptions of “master motifs”. For a passing Pirsig fan, the unpublished sections of ZMM and map might justify the purchase, but the Guidebook is meant as a serious academic complement to the philosophical and literary challenge and depth of “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. ''
“Retracing the Tire Prints on a Philosophical Journey” New York Times book review.
WBUR ONPOINT Radio Program featuring Ron DiSanto (45 minute total, DiSanto at beginning of program).

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Aug 2020

45th Anniversary of Pirsig's "Lila" Boat Trip

On Monday August 11, 1975, Robert M. Pirsig departed on the sailing voyage described in his second book "Lila: An Inquiry into Morals." Leaving from Bayfield, Wisconsin on Lake Superior on his newly bought Westsail-32 cutter-rigged cruiser sailboat named Aretê (the Greek word for excellence or virtue), Pirsig planned a three week transit of the Great Lakes followed by traveling down the Erie Canal to the Hudson River, then to New York City and the Atlantic coast, and finally down to Florida to leave the boat before returning home to Minneapolis for Christmas. The Pirsigs had caught the “sailing bug” and had plunked down $60,000 intended for a vacation home on a sailboat with a reputation for being able to sail around the world instead. Robert M. Pirsig intended to write his second book about Indians while voyaging on the boat. In that book, “Lila: An Inquiry into Morals” Pirsig describes this journey and gives his date of departure as August 11th as well. The following article archived on Ian Glendinning's Psybertron Pirsig Pages gives a glimpse into this moment and captures his wife Nancy’s enthusiasm. Sadly, the Pirsigs’ marriage would soon dissolve thereafter. "Booked for Passage-Couple Floating $60,000 Home". Thanks once again go to Ian Glendinning's research and Psybertron timeline of Pirsig's life.

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July 2020

NY Times Column about Pirsig's Ideas on Gradeless Learning Being Realized During Quarantine

David McGlynn, an English professor at Lawrence University in Wisconsin, describes how a "ferocious force" was unleashed in his son Hayden after grades and learning were disconnected. In the following New York Times column published July 21, 2020 McGlynn writes...

Read the full article "Quarantine and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance".

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July 2020

New Contact from 2018 Pirsig Pilgrim

We're excited to announce we've made contact with another Pirsig Pilgrim. Joseph responded to our July 12th post on social media of Robert M. Pirsig's photo at Rock Creek Vista on the Beartooth Highway, and then shared with us his blog of his trip in 2018. Since Joseph lives in the eastern US, he decided to make it a true coast to coast ride, starting at a beach on the east coast and traveling to Minneapolis where he retraced from there Pirsig's ride to San Francisco. He tells us, "I’ve enjoyed your page since I discovered it when researching my trip; it inspired my own musings, so many thanks." You're very welcome. Check out photos and observations in his The High Country blog post or dig through the rest of his posts from the trip on his blog here.

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July 2020

ZMMQuality Now on Instagram and Twitter

You can follow ZMMQuality now on Instagram and Twitter @zmmquality.
This rounds out our social media presence along with our long-standing Facebook page We should also mention July is our annual Zen Route "Read and Ride" retrace with special posts marking each of day of Robert M. Pirsig's original 1968 trip described in ''Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.'

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Feb 2020

George Steiner, critic who championed Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance , passes away

Influential literary critic George Steiner has passed away at the age of 90. A “rock star" scholar, Steiner was an early champion of Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, comparing the novel to Moby Dick in his New Yorker essay “Uneasy Rider.” "It lodges in the mind as few recent novels have...The book is inspired, original... the narrative tact, the perfect economy of effect defy criticism... The analogies with Moby Dick are patent. Robert Pirsig invites the prodigious comparison.... What more can one say?"

Steiner's review ushered in the positive critical response to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance that made the book and Pirsig a success. Pirsig would later mention Steiner in his second book 'Lila: An Inquiry into Values '' describing how Steiner had warned him against making a movie out of his book.

George Steiner's review "Uneasy Rider" published April 15, 1974 in the New Yorker.
Washington Post obituary "George Steiner, renowned literary critic, dies at 90"

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Feb 2020

ZMMQuality Collaborator Dennis Gary Passes Away

Dennis Gary, Student, GCHS 1956		Dennis Gary, Teacher, CHS 1965		Dennis Gary Self-Portrait 2005

We are saddened to report of the passing of our colleague and collaborator Dennis Gary. Dennis grew up in Gallatin County, MT, went to school at Montana State College, and became a high school English teacher. On whim, Dennis Googled "Sarah J. Vinke" in 2009, found our ZMMQuality website, contacted Henry Gurr and began collaborating. "You're Quality, Mr. Gary", his professor Sarah J. Vinke had told him. While much of what she told him explaining that went over Dennis' head as a young man, he felt it was a kind of a charge to keep, a responsibility to do some good in the world. ZMMQuality is indebted to Dennis Gary's recollections, research, and archival work that bring to life Montana State College when Pirsig and Vinke taught there. His vivid memories often read like lost chapters from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance... and Gary indeed collaborated with James Essinger and Henry Gurr, contributing a chapter to their recent biography of Sarah Vinke, "A Woman of Quality: Sarah Vinke, the 'Divine Sarah' and the Quest for the Origins for Robert Pirsig's Metaphysics of Quality in the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." Dennis Gary, you will be missed. Henry Gurr is compiling a memorial page for Dennis Gary; contact Henry if you would like to contribute a remembrance.
Read Dennis Gary's recollections here:
http://venturearete.org/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/Documents/SarahVinkeMemories1?

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Feb 2020

Probable ZMM Welder’s Shop Near Grant’s Pass, OR Found

In Chapter 29 of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance the Narrator and Chris stop in Grants Pass, Oregon to fix the chain guard on the motorcycle. We believe we've found the welding shop Robert Pirsig stopped at on his actual 1968 motorcycle trip west.
Blue Nelson of Rogue River, OR emailed us a note... “I think that the "down the street" welder might have been here outside Rogue River where this motorcycle repair shop and welder remained for years. I rescued a Fintail Mercedes recently from behind the shop and the son of the owner remembers his dad doing repairs to Robert's bike." Mr. Alexander Henry (Sandy) McGregor not only was an expert welder, but an excellent motorcycle repairman with a shop a few miles from down the main road from Grants Pass, OR, close enough that the part man first consulted could have easily recommended him.
Special thanks to Blue Nelson and Bill Quaccia for looking into it and bringing it to our attention.
Check out photos of the Welder’s Shop in our Gallery here.

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Dec 2019

Robert Pirsig’s Motorcycle, Artifacts Donated to Smithsonian

"The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History will be the new home of American author Robert M. Pirsig's 1966 Honda Super Hawk motorcycle featured in his book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values. Stored for decades in the family's New England garage and recently mechanically restored, the motorcycle is a gift from Pirsig's widow, Wendy K. Pirsig. In addition to the motorcycle, the gift includes Pirsig's leather jacket, maps, shop manual and other gear from the 1968 ride."
Learn More...
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zen-motorcycle-takes-final-journey-into-the-smithsonians-collections-300975784.html
Photos of the Smithsonian donations on our Facebook page.

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August 2019

Summer Book Tour with “A Woman of Quality: Sarah Vinke” Co-Author Henry Gurr

ZMMQuality’s Henry Gurr embarked on a book tour for “A Woman of Quality: Sarah Vinke, 'The Divine Sarah', and the Quest for the Origin of Robert Pirsig's Metaphysics of Quality in his Book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance " this July and August visiting Iowa and Montana to share the book with communities and archives. Gurr spoke at the Forest Park Museum in Perry, IA; Beaverdale Books in Des Moines, IA; Miles City Public Library, Miles City, MT; and Montana State University's Bookstore in Bozeman, MT. Gurr also visited with Tina DeWeese at the DeWeese home, retraced part of the Cottonwood Canyon mountain hike route, and also revisited parts of "Zen route" along the way.
Short video featuring ZMMQuality founder Henry Gurr visiting Montana State University this August courtesy of Dennis Davis of Cloud Nine Media Arts in Gallatin Valley, MT:
https://youtu.be/YzxVv6DH28I
Ken Smith profiled Gurr in the High Plains Reader:
https://hpr1.com/index.php/feature/writers-block/literary-scholar-retraces-route-of-famous-author/

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July 9, 2019

Sarah Vinke Biography, by James Essinger and Henry Gurr, Now Available BOTH as Paperback and Kindle Digital eBook. .... Kindle eBooks May Be Read on Practically ANY Digital Device, With the FREE DownLoad APP from Amazon, after Kindle eBook purchase.!

This Biography Full TITLE => "A Woman of Quality: Sarah Vinke, 'The Divine Sarah', and the Quest for the Origin of Robert Pirsig's Metaphysics of Quality In Pirsig's Book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." '' , is available:

For a History of The Sarah Vinke Biography Project, AND How To Pre-View Our Biography, please scroll down ~3 inches, to the listing at => Nov 19, 2018.

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February 26, 2019

Sylvia Sutherland Passes Away

Sylvia Sutherland has passed away on Feb 19, 2019. The family furnished ZMMQuality photos to share via our Facebook page and thanks everyone for their thoughts and prayers.

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Nov 19, 2018

Announce Publication of the, Sarah Vinke eBook Biography Now Available.

TITLED: A WOMAN OF QUALITY: Sarah Vinke, ‘The Divine Sarah’ , and the Quest for the Origin of Robert Pirsig's 'Metaphysics of Quality' , In Pirsig's Book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" .

After a tentative slow start in early 2015, James Essinger and Henry Gurr biography of Sarah Vinke “The Divine Sarah” of the ZMM book, is now finally publicly available =>

Revised: The Sarah Vinke Biography (SVB), Available In TWO versions:

Additional extensive detailed information is here, most especially The Resource Page:
http://venturearete.org/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/Documents/BiographySarahVinki
http://venturearete.org/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/Documents.BiographySarahVinkeResourcePage.

Eventually Henry Gurr plans a trip "Out West", (UPDATE: Trip was successfully completed Summer 2019.)

Since technical problems may crop up at ANY time!! Please email me pronto, if something unexpected happens!

Also, since Sarah was VERY important to Robert Pirsig, and the creation of ZMM,
We hope you will please help get the word out =>

Sincerely Henry Gurr SVB Coauthor, Project Coordinator & Sponsored.

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May 2018

MSU Library Acquires Anthony McWatt’s Robert Pirsig Collection

Dr. Anthony M. McWatt corresponded with Robert Pirsig as he worked on his thesis on the Metaphysics of Quality (MOQ) in the early 2000s. “The McWatt Collection on Robert Pirsig is the accumulation of correspondence, documents, monographs, audio cassettes, and CDs created between 1974-2004.” McWatt offered the materials up for auction through Sotheby’s in December 2017 and Montana State University Library purchased them.
'''Learn More Here: https://bozemanmagazine.com/articles/2018/05/31/28309_zen_and_the_art_of_motorcycle_maintenance

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May 30, 2017 (Updated October 29 2018)

Here is a link to an obituary of Robert Pirsig, including an excellent picture

At several points in the obituary are blue text hyperlinks which you, the reader, are very much encouraged to click on and follow!

The following lines, down until the link, are taken from the obituary, a very well-done and comprehensive article, with a rarely seen picture of Pirsig in his later years.

“The book is not, as I think you now realize from your correspondence with other publishers, a marketing man’s dream,” the editor at William Morrow wrote in a congratulatory note before its 1974 publication.

He was wrong. “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values” sold 50,000 copies in three months and more than 5 million in the decades since. The tome has been translated into at least 27 languages. A reviewer for the New Yorker likened its author to Herman Melville. Its popularity made Pirsig “probably the most widely read philosopher alive,” a British journalist wrote in 2006.

Pirsig, a perfectionist who published only one major work after “Zen” but inspired college classes, academic conferences and a legion of “Pirsig pilgrims” who retrace the anguished, cross-country motorcycle trip at the heart of his novel, died Monday at his home in South Berwick, Maine, the Associated Press confirmed. He was 88 and had been in failing health.

Click here for the obituary link

Another two good, freely readable articles on Robert Pirsig's death can be found at the lines immediately below, the first at the Boston Globe, the second at the National Public Radio website. The Boston Globe link provides a photograph of Pirsig posing in front of a motorcycle, as well as a quick overview of his life and career, while the NPR link provides both of these and a photograph of Pirsig on a motorcycle with his son Chris. The NPR link is also in the next section below, the announcement of his death by NPR.

For the Boston Globe link, click on this blue text.

For the NPR link, click on this blue text.

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April 25 2017

Zen And The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Author Robert M. Pirsig Dies At 88 - NPR

Dear Family, Friends, & ZMM Enthusiasts

Sincerely Henry Gurr, ZMMQ Site Master.
An Announcement of Robert Pirsig's death

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April 24 2017

Ian Glendinning said concerning the news of Robert Pirsig death:

“Thanks for alerting me to this overnight. ... Very sad, if not entirely unexpected... Since then, the press and social media have been very active on this all day.
Amazing number of people expressing their (mainly) ZMM memories.
I also posted this .. Regards “

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July 2014

For Your Interest => A Clickable Summary-List Of New ZMMQ WebPages That Have Been Created This Last Year.(NOTE: Please scroll down about 9 inches, after the Two-Double-Lines, to see The Full Summary-List.)

INTRODUCTION:In this list, I am especially happy to direct you attention to the first link in my "Tech Corner" listing below: It Describes at Length The Ways You Can Use, To Significantly Lower Your Over-All Telephone Costs. Of especial importance to Cell Phone usesers is the information I supply re a NEW FREE Cell SmartPhone Service Called FreedomPop:
Here is a brief summary of FreeomPop.com’s Service plans:

3) Read my complete FreedomPop.com details at my WebPage: Getting Low $ Cost Phone Services: **Cell**Land**Internet**PrePaidPhoneCards**

MORE INTRODUCTION: Also In This List Also, Please Especially Notice => My proposed New Organization To “Preserve & Distribute Professors Authored Intellectual Materials.
This new organization (a professor’s volunteer cooperative), which will primarialy maintain an which in turn will make available Professors Intellectual Materials, such as Documents, Photographs, Drawings, Diagrams, Designs, etc, and most especially be host to their ownWebSites. (This project is open to all persons. They don't have to be a professor). ... If you know of any person who needs A Low Cost WebPage Internet Home, for their Documents, Photographs, Drawings, Diagrams, Designs, Etc .... please let me know by Contact Me, at Bottom of this page. (This project is open to ALL persons. They don't have to be a professor!!)
A New Organization To “Preserve & Distribute Professors Authored Intellectual Materials.

SiteMaster Henry Gurr, has new contact info available:
1) To see my uptodate information (My Brief Bio), Please Click "Contact Me" at the bottom of this (and every) ZMMQ Pages.
2) And remember you can always get-hold-of my full contact info (and VERY interesting USCA Home Page) by typing into Google => Professor Henry Gurr
Sincerely Henry Gurr, ZMMQ SiteMaster

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For Your Interest, Here Are NEW ZMMQ WebPages That Have Been Created For This WebSite During This Last Year.
Dennis Gary’s Six New Pages:

III) H Gurr’s Tech Corner Has Three New Pages:

IV) H Gurr’s Earth Friendly $$$ Energy Save Projects New Page:

V)Henry Gurr’s Philosophy of Mind Project WebPage, Now Is ~50% Newly Revised, Plus Has Added Three Extensive New AAPT-SACS Physics Teachers Talk “Hand-Outs” (As Links From) This Page: To find these please: AtTopOfThisPage> Do > Edit > Find > Type-In "Hand-Out” > Will successively scroll to all 3 or these Hand-Outs. (NOTE: This page, summarixes the Hopfield Theory, as to how our Human Brain Works => As General Problem Solver, Which Brain Seeks Best Highest Quality. It is pointed our how this well fits Robert Pirsig's two Books "Zen and the Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance: and "LILA". )
Hopfield Theory: Our Gen Problem Solver Brain Seeks Best Quality.

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VI) ZMMQ Site Has Five New Pages Added:
-Celebrate 45 Years: R Pirsig’s Original July 1968 Motorcycle Trek.

VII) ZMMQ Site Now On Our Own Internet Server: You May Be Interested In How & Why This Was Done, and How This Worked Out For Us:
To Make Our Own Low-Cost, Low-Electrical-Energy, Internet Server, Henry Gurr”s Son David Gurr Re-Purposed a VERY NICE $200 Acer LapTop Computer, Called a ChromeBook.

VIII) A New Internet Organization “Professors Cooperative Permanente” (PCP), Is Proposed:
This new organization (a professor’s volunteer cooperative), will “Preserve and Distribute Professors Authored Intellectual Materials", such as Documents, Photographs, Drawings, Diagrams, Designs, etc, and most especially their ownWebSites (Either exixting or Propose). This new cooperative will actively promote the public dissemination of these materials, mostly thru an Internet WebServer. This server, at least temporarily, will be the above mentioned ChromeBook Server: If you are interested in joining us, or want more information, please reply email to me. A New Organization To “Preserve & Distribute Professors Authored Intellectual Materials.

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July 2013

July 2013 Marks 45 Years Since Robert Pirsig’s Original 1968 Motorcycle Trek

In July 1968, the Monday after a July 4th weekend, Robert Pirsig and his son Chris set out on the motorcycle trek that the novel Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is based on. ZMMQuality will commemorate this 45th anniversary this July with a series of special features revisiting Pirsig’s original trip and the corresponding passages in the novel on our website and on our ZMMQuality Facebook page.

• July 2013 Marks 45 Years Since Robert Pirsig’s Original 1968 Motorcycle Trek Check out our new section for 45th Anniversary features (also at top of sidebar menu on left).
• “Thursday July 4, 2013: Read and Ride” by Gary Wegner. Wegner’s invitation to revisit and reread Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZMM) on this 45th anniversary, complete with chapter correlations to each day/leg of the original trip.

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June 2013

Photos from the MSU Chautauqua Honoring Robert Pirsig Posted on ZMMQ Facebook Page

Nine albums of photos from Montana State University’s Chautauqua Honoring Robert Pirsig held Dec 7-8, 2012 in Bozemann, MT have finally been posted to the ZMMQuality Facebook page. Check them out here.

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May 2013

Great Article on Robert Pirsig and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance in the Independent

Christopher Fowler’s May 18, 2013 “Invisible Ink” column in the Independent is an excellent introduction to Robert Pirsig and the unlikely success and classic status of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/invisible-ink-no-173--robert-m-pirsig-8622200.html

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May 2013

ZMMQuality Webpage Moves to New Address

ZMMQuality is now on a new domain… venturearete.org. Please update your bookmarks and links with our new address: http://venturearete.org/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/Main/HomePage

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December 2012

ZMMQuality Now on Facebook

Please “LIKE” ZMM Quality’s new Facebook page where we will be sharing plenty of information and pictures for the Zen and the Art of Motorcycle/Robert Pirsig enthusiast including pictures from the recent MSU Chautauqua honoring Robert Pirsig. https://www.facebook.com/zmmquality

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November 2012

Chautauqua 2012: Montana State University Honors Robert Pirsig

MSU announces schedule for Dec 7-9, 2012 conference, unveils conference website: http://www.montana.edu/pirsig/

See also the announcement of Conference at Montana State (MSU) on Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Robert Pirsig, Dec 7-9, 2012.

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November 2012

MSU to Recognize Pirsig with Honorary Doctorate

MSU press release announces honorary doctorate will be conferred on Robert Pirsig at December 2012 commencement.
http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=11608

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November 2012

Nobel Prize Novelist Believes American President Should Read Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

World-renowned novelist and 2006 Nobel Prize winner in literature Orhan Pamuk responds to the question: If you could recommend one book to the American president, what would it be?

“Orhan Pamuk: By the Book,” New York Times, Published Nov 8th, 2012

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October 2012
From: DeWeeseart [tina@deweeseart.com]
SUBJECT: Fm MSU News Service: Montana State University (MSU), salutes Robert Pirsig and his book ‘’Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’’ with events Dec. 7-9, 2012
WAH LAH! This written by Michaell Sexson a couple of weeks ago … so sorry for the delay! Institutional red tape …..... We hope pilgrims will congregate!
Whew!! Tina
Translated, Whew above means =.**Finally** .... we got the go-ahead to post, this MSU Pirsig Chatauqua Event announcement information, found here.

MSU salutes Robert Pirsig and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance with events Dec. 7, 8, & 9, 2012.

Montana State University will host a conference on Dec. 7-9 honoring Robert Pirsig, writer and philosopher whose book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, published in 1974, is one of the best-selling popular philosophy book of all time.

The three-day event held at various locations on campus will include appearances by national and internationally known speakers and teachers, philosophers and artists, filmmakers and motorcycle enthusiasts who will convene to discuss Pirsig's work, its meaning, and its legacy.

The MSU events will be called a "Chautauqua," which organizers say is fitting because it was a term that Pirsig himself used to describe "Zen," an unorthodox but enduringly popular look at life and "quality."

"Formal recognition of Robert Pirsig's importance as a writer and thinker, and as a significant part of the history of Montana State University is long overdue," said Charles Pinkava, one of the event organizers and a teacher of critical thinking at MSU. He said that Chautauqua is an old-fashioned word for a popular traveling lecture, and that Pirsig used the term to describe the odd make-up of "Zen," that is "at once a ghost story, a travelogue, a romantic adventure, and a series of philosophical observations intended to entertain and edify an ordinary audience."

Pinkava explained that Montana State played a key role in Pirsig's philosophies and in the book. As a teacher of rhetoric in the late 1950s at Montana State College, Pirsig was intrigued by a Montana State colleague's remark about whether he was teaching quality to his students.

"This was the 'seed crystal' moment that led to Pirsig's relocation to the University of Chicago where he suffered a mental breakdown, a recovery, and a resolve to return to Montana to visit the ghost of himself," Pinkava said. The pilgrimage of Pirsig, his son, Chris, and two friends that was detailed in "Zen" has since become the most celebrated motorcycle trip in literary history, he added.

"Millions of readers throughout the world have been gripped by this story, seeing in it their own journey to find quality in their lives and in the world," Pinkava said.

Pinkava said that that many readers have been so moved by the book and its message that they imitate the motorcycle journey themselves. Every year "Pirsig Pilgrims" appear regularly, often on motorcycles, riding to MSU's Montana Hall, where Pirsig once had an office, and to the DeWeese home in Cottonwood Canyon near Bozeman.

The first day of the Chautauqua will be devoted to lectures by MSU teachers and students as well as an internationally known Pirsig scholar. According to MSU English Professor Michael Sexson, who will host the session, the talks will cover a range of issues from "consciousness and quality" to "Pirsig as a Distinctly American Philosopher."

The second day of the Chautauqua will showcase travelers who will give testimonials about how Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance influenced and sometimes transformed their lives. It is expected that many of the "Pirsig Pilgrims" will be on hand to tell their own stories and to be involved in an open forum for all attendees. In addition, the premiere showing of Meridian, a film inspired by Pirsig's book, will be shown by its creator, Lee Glover. The event will be hosted by Tina DeWeese, daughter of the late Gennie and Bob DeWeese, Bozeman artists who figured prominently in "Zen" as Pirsig's friends and mentors.

On the third day of the Chautauqua, Charles Pinkava will conduct an open forum on reflections and meanings of the three-day event, as well as discuss future possibilities.
All Montana State University (MSU) “Pirsig Chautauqua” events are free and open to the public.

Contacts
Charles L. Pinkava, 406-994-5572 or
Michael Sexson, 406-994-5189, msuchautauqua@gmail.com
Montana State University (MSU) HomePage http://www.montana.edu/----
For THESE ZMMQ Pages: Site Master is Professor Henry Gurr Contact: HenryG__USCA.edu

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October 2012

Lee Glover’s Documentary Meridian Premieres Dec 8th at MSU Conference

Meridian, Lee Glover’s documentary movie marking forty years since Robert Pirsig’s original Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance trip from Minneapolis to San Francisco with his son Chris, will premiere December 8th, 2012 at the Montana State University conference in Bozeman, MT. Mr. Glover, an independent documentary filmmaker from Boise Idaho, traveled the entire ZMM route during July and early August 2008. Mr. Glover compiled a high-definition video film record of the trip, along with interviews of many people connected with Pirsig’s classic book and others who—like Mr. Glover—were making the “Pirsig pilgrimage.” A trailer for the film, including a short interview with ZMMQ Site Master Henry Gurr, is now available on the Internet. This page contains a “Contact Me” link for getting in touch with Mr. Glover via e-mail.

[SITEMASTER'S NOTE: The “Contact Me” link on Mr. Glover’s webpage requires Microsoft Outlook e-mail. If you do not have Microsoft Outlook installed on your computer and would like to contact Mr. Glover, do not hesitate to e-mail me at: HenryG*usca.edu (replace the asterisk with the appropriate character).]

Earlier ZMMQ News Archive announcement of Lee Glover’s ZMM Documentary.

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June 2012

Art Works of Robert and Gennie DeWeese Now Available On Internet.

The following are portions of a June 15, 2012 email from Tina DeWeese, daughter of Robert and Gennie DeWeese, with news of Posting of photos of some of the Art Works of her Mother and Father. Boseman Montanna Artists, Robert and Gennie DeWeese, were very good friend of author Robert Pirsig, and they have a very large role in Mr. PIrsig's book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" (ZMM). (The parts of Tina's email, not relavant to her Mom and Dad's Art, have been ommitted.)

Hello Henry!
.... I've recently posted a couple of "preview albums" of BOB and GENNIE's work in prep for the website. It's a slow process, but in the works.
I'm getting all of dad's slides scanned this month ... then the cataloging ... will keep me busy for some time. We decided to go ahead with it and start w/ funds from the estate to get started. So far a family proposition. .... .
I want to send you the links to the "previews" ....
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.314901298597333.73816.100002323951087&type=1&l=33c506520f [Art Work Of BOB DEWEESE ]
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.312862318801231.73343.100002323951087&type=1&l=6f70c7bab1 [Art Work Of GENNIE DEWEESE ]
Best regards!
Tina
Viewing instructions: Once either of these page of photos comes, up mouse click on any photo to see larger view. If you place your mouse cursor on the photo, and click right side, you will go to the next photo. "Arrows" also may appear. Mouse click on these to go to the next photo, or back to previous. If all else fails, look at upper right of larger view photo for Previous • Next.
'''

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June 2012

Zen and the Art of Mortorcycle Maintenance Broadcast Available Online

Just in cased you missed it on Saturday, a link to listen to the full program is posted below. The first few minutes are of another program.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01k1ljh

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June 2012

Tina DeWeese has linked up to ZMM to advertise dramatic production of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

http://www.psybertron.org/?p=4394

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June 2012

BBC Radio Dramatic Production of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Review by:Jane Anderson

This [Radio Drama is about a] philosophical novel by Robert M Pirsig has never been dramatised before and I suspect that is because so much of the text requires vigorous intellectual scrutiny to fathom its meaning.

This is one of the rare cases where I would suggest a drama is better appreciated by reading the book first — it is the playwright Peter Flannery’s (Our Friends in the North, George Gently) favourite novel and I hope he would agree.

For those without the time or inclination to do so, expect a challenging listen as James Purefoy stars as three characters, all of whom are aspects of the same troubled man.

About this programme
By Robert M Pirsig, dramatised by Peter Flannery. A father and son embark on a motorbike journey from Minnesota to California, using the maintenance of the vehicle to illustrate the unification of technology and artistry. Starring James Purefoy.
Cast and Crew
Cast: Dad/Narrator/PhaedrusJames PurefoyChrisMax CazierJohnSean PowerSylviaLucy Newman-WilliamsGennieCaitlin ThorburnProfessorParis Arrowsmith
Crew: Dramatised ByPeter FlanneryProducerMelanie HarrisWriterRobert M Pirsig
http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/q6q26/zen-and-the-art-of-motorcycle-maintenance
NOTE by SiteMaster: This Video was broadcast in UK only. Persons in other countries may purchase this on ?Video? Disk, from a company, whose name I can find, if needed: Please email me. Henry Gurr.

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July 2011

New Archives Commentary Page on the ZMMQ Site.

A new page by Mr. Dennis Gary featuring his comments on the contents on the ZMMQ Archives Page and their connections to the life of Sarah Vinke has been completed. Kudos to Mr. Gary for his valuable contributions to the study of ZMM and all of the actual people featured in Pirsig’s incredible book.

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July 2011

ZMMQ Archives Page Updated

The ZMMQ Archives Page, containing information from the Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections Archive at Montana State University and the Amistad Research Center at Tulane University, has been completely updated. New materials have also been added, including a thank you letter from the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party to Sarah Vinke for a contribution she made.

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January 2011

New Photo Page on the ZMMQ Site.

A new page containing photos of faculty, administrators, and students at Montana State College from 1947-1960 (including photos of the author of the page, former Sarah Vinke student Dennis Gary) is now complete. Many thanks to Mr. Gary for all his hard work on this excellent new addition to the ZMMQ site.

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September 2010

New Web Editor for the ZMMQ Site.

Dr. Andrew Geyer, Assistant Professor of English at USC Aiken and fiction author, has begun work as web editor for the ZMM Quality website. Dr. Geyer will be editing and updating content already on the ZMMQ site, and adding new pages and material. For more information about Dr. Geyer’s long association with Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, see his newly posted Editor’s Introduction to the ZMM Quality Website. For information on Dr. Geyer’s books, see his personal website.

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August 2010

Neutrino Celebration, Aiken, South Carolina.

In 1956, near my town of Aiken SC, Fred Reines and Clyde Cowan discovered the neutrino, a fundamental elementary physics particle. To celebrate this momentous discovery, a public celebration took place in Aiken on August 27, 2010. This event acknowledged and increased the public awareness of this historical scientific experiment that took place at the Savannah River Plant (SRP), P-Area Reactor, located about 20 miles south of Aiken.

[SITEMASTER’S NOTE: Your Sitemaster, Henry Gurr, worked with the continuation of the SRP Neutrino Experiments, conducted by Fred Reines, from 1966 through 1979.]

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April 2009

Christopher Bartneck’s Professional Paper on ZMM.

Christopher Bartneck discusses ZMM in particular and science in general in his excellent new essay entitled: “Robert Pirsig’s Metaphysics of Quality and Its Relationship to the Science of Design.”

Here is an excerpt:

The effect of personal caring on the arts is familiar to us and Pirsig commented: "You want to know how to paint a perfect painting? It is easy. Make yourself perfect and then just paint naturally." The same holds true for designers, but in addition to an artistic skill they also need rationality to create good artifacts. The effect of caring and sensitivity to Quality in rational activities is less widely accepted even though Quality is the generator of all intellectual activity – both artistic and scientific. Pirsig wrote: "The classic pattern of rationality can be tremendously improved, expanded and made far more effective through the formal recognition of Quality in its operation." The formal recognition of Quality will then have a direct influence on science [and the Science of Design]: "I think that it will be found that a formal acknowledgement of the role of Quality in the scientific process does not destroy the empirical vision at all. It expands it, strengthens it and brings it far closer to actual scientific practice.… By returning our attention to Quality it is hoped that we can get technological work out of the non-caring subject-object dualism and back into craftsmanlike self-involved reality again, which will reveal to us the facts we need when we are stuck". It will improve our selection of interesting hypotheses and facts. The knowledge creation of designers and scientists is very similar and therefore Quality will also improve the more rational aspects of design. Both designers and scientists must improve themselves and the Quality of their work will improve naturally.

Pirsig concludes his Metaphysics of Quality by showing how it can be turned into everyday practice. Most of all we need to care and improve ourselves: "The real cycle you're working on is a cycle called yourself. The machine that appears to be “out there” and the person that appears to be “in here” are not two separate things. They grow toward Quality or fall away from Quality together."

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January 2009

Bill Bergerson, of Miles City MT, Has Passed Away.

Bill Bergerson, featured in ZMM, was a real person, and so was Bill’s Cycle Shop! They are important parts of the portion of the ZMM narrative that takes place in Miles City, MT. Bill had been in poor health with Parkinson's disease for a long time.

Here is his obituary:

Wilbur Thor Bill Bergerson age 74, longtime Miles City businessman died Saturday evening at Holy Rosary Extended care in Miles City with his family at his side.

Bill was born August 22, 1934 on the family homestead at Biddle Mt. the son of Bror G. and Carrie (Westman) Bergerson. His first year of schooling he attended Bergerson country school at Biddle, Montana and moving to Helena, Montana with his family for a year . Then moving to Miles City where he graduated from Custer County District High School in 1953.

Bill married Marjorie Waite and to this union, three children were born. They later divorced.

Bill and Bonnie Yarger were married on 4-28-1962 and to this union one child was born.

Bill started in construction with his father and brother. Together, they constructed Highland Park Congregational Church which is now United Christian Church. In 1956, Bill started Bill’s Boat Shop which later became Bill’s Marine and Cycle which he and Bonnie owned and operated until 1994. During the years of operating Bill’s Marine and Cycle, Bill developed Bergerson Ranchettes, north of Miles City which has now been subdivided into 46 homes, and Sunday Creek Airpark, a project he was very proud of. Despite Bill’s physically ailing health, nothing stopped him from accomplishing his passion for flying, & he mentored many young pilots. To this day he still owns two planes.

Bill enjoyed boating and this made him instrumental in developing Spotted Eagle Recreation Area. Not only did he enjoy boating, but also stock car racing and motorcycle riding. Bill was a very simple and humble man that took pride in helping others. Bill was an active member of the United Christian Church, Montana Pilots Association, A.O.P.A., and was a member of league bowling for years. He helped the local sheriff's office do search and rescue until the M.C. Search and Rescue was formed.

Bill is survived by his wife of 46 years, Bonnie, of Miles City, MT; a son, Robert (Kay) Bergerson of Billings, MT; three daughters: Cindy (Joe) Scott of Great Falls, MT; Kathleen (Chris) Avouris of Spring Hill, FL; and Rhonda (Mike) Webber of Miles City, MT; Sister, Geraldine (Keith) Wilson of Clatskanie, OR; a very special nephew, Gary (Dotti) Bartholomew of Des Plains, IL; a Sister in law, Alma Bergerson of Billings, MT; Brother in law, Chuck Scofield of Billings, MT; brother in law, Clifford Williams of Las Cruses, NM; seven grandchildren and one great grandchild; and numerous neices and nephews; He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother Bruce Bergerson, two sisters: Lorraine Scofield and Carolyn Williams; and a grandson Todd Bergerson.

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March and July 2009

My Album of 360 Degree Panorama Photos for the Book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Is Now Completed.

These Seven-Foot-Wide Panorama Photo Composites (52 of them!) Are an Abbreviated “Sights and Scenes” for the ZMM Book.

Of special interest is the "Special Crown Shaped Cloud” observed at La Pine Oregon. We still need to add the lighthouse to the “Mother and Child at the Pacific Ocean Beach” Panorama. These will be up-loaded ASAP. The captions for the last half of this album also have been now added. The first half of these panoramas (up through the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center) were “stitched” together by John Westbrook Jr. of Aiken SC. More recently this expert task, also using Adobe Photoshop, has been under the steady hand of Stacey Mosier, a University of South Carolina Aiken Art Major. My thanks to both John and Stacey for a tough job, well done!

Here is a link to Page 3 of the Panorama Album.

Here is a link to Page 4 of the Panorama Album.

My "San Andreas Fault" panoramas are up-loaded to a different album here.

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December 2008

Jill Collins, ZMM Enthusiast from Columbia SC, Makes Truly Wonderful Wall Calendar Full of Photos and Quotations from "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance."

Yesterday I had a great ZMM discussion and time of sharing with Jill Collins and her friend Paul Holton. While we were enjoying the great food at Pat’s Restaurant in downtown Aiken, Jill handed me, as a gift, her wonderful wall calendar creation. For each of the twelve months, there was a 1968 Robert Pirsig photo, as well as about four other photos of the ZMM Route. It is: in full color, two page spiral bound, opens to 17" high X 11" wide, professionally printed, all photos with full captions. It is a work of art! The calendar cover has the color photo of the "Church of the Minorities,” Jill's favorite Lyonel Feininger painting. Well done all over! Thank you, thank you Jill!

[SITEMASTER’S NOTE: I suspect you could get a copy also. Promise of reimbursement of costs + shipping, and a real nice note pleading for one, would start the process. Send an e-mail to me if you are interested.]

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Update November 2008

Nancy Pirsig Motorcycle Jacket Re-Offered For Sale. Description (revised) from Nancy James.

Dear Prof. Gurr,

I am Nancy James, the ex-wife of Robert Pirsig. (If you have read "Zen and Now" by Mark Richardson, you know who I am.)

I just wanted to let you know, so perhaps you might mention this on your fascinating website: That the motorcycle jacket I used to wear when Bob and I went cycling is now for sale on eBay. You can see it here:

It is in real good condition as I have not worn it for many years. My son Ted is handling the eBay listing and I will be mailing the jacket if we get any bids, as I have it here in Florida, where I live.

Thanks for your considering this.

Nancy James

[SITEMASTER’S NOTE: The link provided to the above listing is no longer valid. Ask me for a copy of the photo if you are interested.]

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January 2008 (See November 2008 Update Above).

Nancy Pirsig Motorcycle Jacket for Sale. Description (revised) from Ted Pirsig

This leather jacket belongs to the ex-wife of author Robert Pirsig, whose married name was Nancy Pirsig. She is selling it because she doesn’t need it, since she now lives in a warm climate and no longer rides a motorcycle.

The label says “Perfecto Genuine Steerhide, Handcut, Schott Bros., Size 38.”

It has a fleecy warm lining and collar. It fits her fine and she normally wears a size 10 or 12, or medium. It is in good condition.

It was purchased around the late sixties or early seventies, and worn on many motorcycle trips – day or weekend trips in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

In the photo, taken in the Pirsig’s St. Paul driveway in the early seventies, you can see Bob Pirsig in the background.

Proceeds from this sale will go into a college fund for Nancy and Bob’s grandson, who is currently a high school senior.

[SITEMASTER’S NOTE: The link provided to the above listing is no longer valid. Ask me for a copy of the photo if you are interested.]

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August 2008 (Revised March 2009)

Mr. Mark Richardson's New Book Zen and Now.

Mr. Richardson tells the story of his experiences in following the route of book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: Some are wild and some prove dangerous! A fascinating read and I am sure you will not want to miss it!

Starting on Monday 19 July 2004, on his vintage 1985 Suzuki DR600 “single banger” motorcycle, Mr. Richardson traveled the route described in the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. His photos, and interesting commentary, may be seen at the last link in this section (directly below). For his trip, he traveled on his trusty Jackie Blue motorcycle, starting in Toronto and ending at the Zen Center in San Francisco, two weeks later.

Mr. Mark Richardson is a writer and the Automobile -Motorcycle Editor for the Toronto Star, one of Canada's foremost newspapers.

Mr. Richardson's book Zen and Now will be published simultaneously in the United States and Canada this September 9th, 2008. This will honor the 40th anniversary of Robert Pirsig's original 1968 ride. Knopf is one of Random House's most prestigious divisions. The book will also be published in paperback by Vintage.

Links:
A) Description of book "Zen and Now: On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance".
B) Interview with Mark Richardson: Learn More About his "ZMM Trip: and how he wrote his book, mentioned above.
C) An abbreviated version of Mark Richardson's Photos of his ZMM Trip, up-loaded day by day, as he traveled. Mark’s Travel Journal!
D) This is Mark Richardson's own website, having vast resources related to his book Zen and Now. Has links to interviews (and reviews) concerning Zen and Now, and where to purchase the book. Also has his day by day blog fully describing (with photos) his recently completed book promotion tour. On a cycle of course! A complete full version of Mark’s photos of his trip, as well as photos of the Pirsig family in early days, and a free chapter, are offered here.

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4 July 2008

Help Needed For Making a Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Video Documentary Marking 40 Years Since Author Robert Pirsig's Original ZMM Trip.

See Oct 2012 posting above for updated info & news on this documentary’s premiere.
Mr. Lee Glover, an independent documentary filmmaker from Boise Idaho, is traveling and video filming the entire ZMM route during July and early August 2008. This effort will mark the 40 year anniversary Robert Pirsig's original trip with Chris, from Minneapolis to San Francisco.

Mr. Glover needs your help in the following ways:
1) If you happen to be traveling this route, you may volunteer to be filmed and interviewed for this documentary, as a “Pirsig’s Pilgrim”. Whether traveling by motorcycle or not, if you are planning the trip during July/August 2008 (Or know someone who is) please contact Mr. Lee Glover.
2) Similarly if you live, or travel, near the ZMM Route, Lee would like to catch up you along the route this summer for video interview and idea sharing.
3) If you have a passion for ZMM, and have ideas or thoughts you would like to share with others, please let Lee know. Thanks!

How to Contact Lee Glover, for help with his ZMM Route Documentary:

[SITEMASTER’S NOTE: If you use Microsoft Outlook e-mail, there is a "Contact Me" on Lee Glover's Website Trailer Video Page. If this does not work, you can contact me. Click on the link at the bottom of this page.]

[SECOND SITEMASTER’S NOTE: At his request Mr. Glover's contact information has been removed from this page as of 24 July 2011]

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June 2008

"Arrive Without Traveling": The First Ever MOQ Conference Is Now on DVD!

BBC Cameras were running while Robert Pirsig and fellow travelers met in their first-ever conference on Metaphysics of Quality (MOQ), at the University of Liverpool, Philosophy Department, July 2005.

Dr. McWatt is to be congratulated for organizing this conference, and then seeing the possibility of getting this very important First MOQ Conference onto DVD! And now he has seen this DVD project through to completion. BRAVO!

We all can thank him for this considerable service to the world of literature and Pirsig fans everywhere! Of course, it is just marvelous to see Pirsig there and see what he had to say. This is history at its best! One note of caution: This DVD is somewhat of an amateur production, but still enjoyable if you can ignore the rough places.

Links:
A) You can see it all by getting your own DVD of "Arrive Without Traveling" here.
B) Ian Glendinning's Review "Arrive Without Traveling" is here.

[SITEMASTER’S NOTE: In the forthcoming months, we can look forward to additional DVD's by Dr. WcWatt. These DVD 's, videos recorded along the route of the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, will show the travel experiences of Anthony McWatt and his MOQ Film Crew.]

One of the soon-to-be-released DVD's from Dr. McWatt, will document the 2005 status of John Sutherland's old BMW, complete with that cycle's original BMW Owners Manual! (This manual even has John's own original signature in it!) In this DVD, it's priceless to hear the current owner's (Ollie Foran) own story about how he got that venerated bike, and how he has revered it all these years.

For some preliminary photos of Dr. McWatt and his traveling companions, Summer 2005, scroll down this page and at left click on the Fourth Album = "Former home of John and Sylvia Sutherland".

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November 2007

Treasured Montana Artist Gennie DeWeese Died Peacefully in Her Studio Home Surrounded by Family on Monday, Nov. 26, 2007.

This is a time of great loss and sadness for Pirsig Pilgrims who have been privileged to meet Gennie. And no less for ZMM Enthusiasts who know her only through reading ZMM. I was indeed blessed to have visited several hours with her twice at the DeWeese home in Cottonwood Canyon, Bozeman.
Gary Wegner says it well for all ZMM Readers: "Although I never had the pleasure of meeting her [Gennie] in person, over the years it seems she, like many others in ZAMM, have become familiar characters in my own story. Good literature does that. As a member of the Pirsig Pilgrimage class of ’78, I called Gennie when we arrived in Bozeman. She was very gracious in answering my questions, and when I asked her to define Pirsig in a word, she replied, ‘Intense.’ Perfect. I like that. And I like the fact that Chris and Gennie and her husband Bob will forever live on in the pages of ZAMM. That is no small measure of immortality. We owe a debt of gratitude to Gennie for advising Pirsig, ‘You should write all this down . . . Without trying to get it perfect.’ Perfect."

This is a passing of an era! Here are some very good articles on what Gennie has meant to many people. If you are aware of other articles, please contact me.

Links:
A) Bozeman Daily Chronicle
B) Gennie's life & art showing two of her very nice paintings.
C) DeWeese Family WebSite showing many more of Gennie's paintings.
D) Description of Gennie DeWeese Celebration that took place June 20-21, 2008.

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November 2007

Mr. Mark Richardson is a writer and the Automobile-Motorcycle Editor for the Toronto Star, one of Canada's foremost newspapers.

Starting Monday 19 July 2004. Mr. Richardson also followed the ZMM Route. This album shows Mr. Richardson's photos of his trip, as he toured on his trusty Jackie Blue motorcycle. His photos and interesting commentary started in Toronto and ended at the Zen Center in San Francisco, two weeks later. Mr. Richardson has written up his experiences into his forthcoming book. It is fascinating to read, and I am sure you will not want to miss it!

Email Newsflash, 7 Nov 07 From Mark Richardson: His New Book Concerning His ZMM Route Experiences Has A Publisher!

Hi Henry and Ian:

I want you both to be first to know that my book Zen and Now was sold this week to Knopf, which will publish it simultaneously in the United States and Canada next September. This very fast turnaround is so that it will be published on the 40th anniversary of the original 1968 ride.

Knopf is one of Random House's most prestigious divisions. It will be published in paperback by Vintage….

As before, I'll keep you in the loop about its progress and I hope to be able to send you a final version before publication. That's no longer my decision, of course, but I expect your feedback and comments on the manuscript will be welcomed. Your assistance and web sites will be properly acknowledged in the published book, of course. And if you want to go ahead now and mention on your sites that the book will be published next September by Knopf, that's fine.

All the best, and many, many thanks.
Mark Richardson

Zen and Now: On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

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November 2007

The University of Chicago "Showdown": ZMM Narrator vs. The Chairman.

Some very good observations about ZMM. Here is an excerpt to get you interested:

" .... I believe the last part of ZMM contains one of the most historically important showdowns in the history of American Literature, and indeed one of the most historically important showdowns in the history of man. That may sound absurdly exaggerated, but my Quality Intuition seems to tell me otherwise. There may be a few people who agree with me, but it's really sad that the majority of humans will probably not realize the significance of this showdown for many years.

One of Pirsig's greatest gifts IMO is his ability to move around *huge* chunks of preexisting thought patterns; patterns that are so enormous and that we are so dependent on, that we usually don't even realize they exist. Patterns of thought that we are generally blind to. Pirsig can shed light on these patterns like no other......."

http://www.mail-archive.com/lilasquad@moq.org/msg00456.html

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October 2007

The Popular Culture Association and American Culture Association Are Inviting Papers on Motorcycling and Its Impact on American and Other Societies and Cultures. Motorcycle Life and Culture.

Annual Meeting of the PCA/ACA Southwest Region
February 13-16, 2008
Hyatt Regency, Albuquerque NM
(And Probably Repeats Each Year.)

Suggested topics include:

• Riders' narratives or descriptions of the ride
• The motorcycle as art, poetry, or agency
• Rituals, norms, customs, or influences in motorcycle culture
• The biker as subaltern or as "other"
• Movies, films, or other images of motorcyclists
• Analysis of media, consumer capitalist, corporate, or other power structures in relation to motorcycling culture or popular myth
• Biographical analysis of noteworthy motorcyclists and their influence upon myth, culture, or cultural capital
• Racial, ethnic, gendered, class, or demographic aspects of motorcycling culture
• Other literary, anthropological, geographical, historical, sociological, or psychological perspectives of motorcycling culture

Please respond to the Area chair with a biographical statement and an abstract of 150 words by November 15, 2007. Graduate student submissions are welcome. Since responders may be assigned to presentations, completed papers should also be sent to the Chair for review, not later than January 15, 2008.

http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=158838

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July 2007

A New Page That Has Much Good, Well-Organized Information About Robert Pirsig and his Book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

http://www.selfgrowth.com/experts/robert_m_pirsig.html

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July 2007

This Site Has News About Robert Pirsig and His Book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Be sure to also click other items in the Menu at left.

http://robertpirsig.org/news.htm

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July 2007

This Site Has Life and Timeline News About Robert Pirsig and His Book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Be sure to also surf other items in this very expansive website.

http://www.psybertron.org/timeline.html

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June 2007

New Earth Care Webpages Now Being Developed: Gurr's Green Guide to Energy Saving and Global Warming.

After seeing Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth, I decided Global Warming was here for real! The developing Global Warming crisis is most certainly going to be the Grandfather of All Problems: Global Warming, bad enough on its own, will make every other human problem vastly worse!

I needed to personally DO SOMETHING. But what? ..... While doing research into a new refrigerator (to replace our 36 year fridge) I realized my calling. Other people could use my search experience: Soon available, What Information Resources To Go To And What To Avoid.

http://venturearete.org/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/SaveEnergyGuide

You may gain inspiration and ideas from our Passive Solar Home just north of the University of South Carolina Aiken Campus.

GurrSolarHome| Click here to see more about Solar Home of Suzanne & Henry Gurr.

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November 2006

New 2006 Updates to My Photo Albums Showing the Sights and Scenes of the ZMM Book Are Still in Progress. Here Are Instructions on How to Find My Newest Photos and Updated Captions.

A) The most concentrated series of photo updates relate to the Narrator and Chris’s mountain climb at Bozeman, MT. (These photos relate to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance pages 167-232 in the Bantam Paperback Edition.)
These updated photos are the first 33 photos of ZMM Part III. The last 4 of these 33 photos are actually topographical maps showing a possible route of their mountain climb. To see these CLICK HERE.

B) The remainder of my 2006 updates are distributed through ZMM Parts I and II.
The "Gallery Search Box" is the easiest way to find my 2006 photos (or any specific words) in the captions of any of my Gallery Photos. Instructions next below:

Steps to find all my latest 2006 photos and related updates:
1) First read all the way through the following 9 instructions.
2) After you click on the link below, you will see at the upper right of the listed Albums an empty box with word Search.
3) Type into this box: “Summer2006” and hit Enter.
4) You will note that the search words are shown in bold in the captions.
5) Scan the resulting photos for those you want to look at.
6) Click on the small photo to see a medium-sized version.
7) If you want a larger photo, click on the photo again.
8) Contact me if you have any questions.
9) Now click below to go to the photo albums and do the above 8 search steps:

http://venturearete.org/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/gallery/

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July 2006

Very Good Essay About the Main Messages of ZMM and How It Is Related to Books by Other Authors.

"A lengthy (by web standards) academic treatise explores ZMM's 'crises of reason' theme. With notes and a short bibliography."

http://www.public.iastate.edu/%7Econsigny/pirsig.html

The above quoted text is from:

http://www.synaptic.bc.ca/ejournal/Robert_M_Pirsig.htm

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July 2006

I Have Just Finished Two Books That Ian Glendinning Will Most Certainly Want to Include in His Efforts to Understand Human Functioning and Best Principles of Enlightened Industrial Management!

Merlin Donald has masterfully assembled for us a vast panorama of the human mind that is very insightful and very correct. He, using a wide range of evidence, weaves a tapestry that includes a vast number of components, all of which we must be aware of as we work in various areas of knowledge, even ZMM.

It would be best to read the books in the order that Dr. Donald wrote them;
Read first 1) below = Origins.... and then
Read second 2) below = Rare.... since the first book helps stage the second.
Click here, then click on each book at Amazon.com literary reviews.

1) Merlin Donald, Origins of the Modern Mind : Three Stages in the Evolution of Culture and Cognition.
Library of Congress Catalogue Number = BF311 .D572 (1991).

2) Merlin Donald, A Mind So Rare: The Evolution of Human Consciousness.
Library of Congress Catalogue Number = BF311 .D57 (2001).

More about Professor Donald at

http://psyc.queensu.ca/faculty/donald/donald.html

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June 2006

What Books to Read: Reviews and Bibliographies by Robert Teeter.

I have just discovered a wonderful source for good books and Great Books lists. It is one of the most extensive compilations of lists of Eastern and Western Classics I have seen! You should spend some time exploring this resource. Also be sure to add a Bookmark (Favorite) on your web browser. Of course Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is also included in Mr. Teeter's recommendations!

http://www.interleaves.org/~rteeter/whatbooks.html

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June 2006

Robert Pirsig's Philosophy Is a Direct Descendant of American Pragmatism

Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Anthony McWatt, I have just been introduced to a very good article which shows clearly and succinctly how Robert Pirsig's Philosophy is a direct descendant of the American Pragmatism of Dewey and most especially of William James. Mr. Summers’ tightly organized writing makes a convincing case that Pirsig’s two books, Lila and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, agree with, support, and considerably extend the philosophic traditions of pragmatism, especially American pragmatism. Summers shows how Pirsig has made pragmatism both clearer and more powerful. He also carefully points out how and where Pirsig fills in some of the major weaknesses of Dewey and James.

Summers concludes:

Perhaps though the most important thing, the ultimate demonstration of Pirsig's pragmatism is that his philosophy grounds out in everyday action...in everyday life. Like the founders of pragmatism Pirsig shows above all that there is a demonstrable reason why that which we feel is good, is good! Experience is not subjective, it is of the good, therefore the moral good issues directly from reality.

Pragmatism breaks the picture in which knowledge is somehow ‘higher’ than experience and action. It does this by showing that knowledge is actually a form of action which is guided by experience. Pirsig's contribution has been to show that that experience is of an absolutely real good. Furthermore, the moral theory that this gives rise to, is an extremely interesting one. It is perhaps the most dramatic advance that he makes upon pragmatism, which is itself, for most critics above all a moral philosophy. For this reason alone, Pirsig's philosophy deserves to be re-evaluated in order to generate further analysis of its concepts.

[SITEMASTER’S NOTE: Scientist/Philosopher Michael Polanyi is seen strongly supporting the above ideas. I hope soon to prepare an article to this effect very soon. A like to an article about Polanyi is directly below.]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Polanyi

The above mentioned article, with an extensive bibliography, is the B A dissertation of Dean Summers of University of Central Lancashire, England, and may be viewed in its entirety at: http://www.robertpirsig.org/Pragmatism.htm .

Dean Summers’ work compliments and supports The much larger PhD thesis of Dr. Anthony McWatt. Scroll down click on yellow book in left menu.

Both of these authors are worthy of your attention, and will help you expand your understanding and appreciation of Robert Pirsig’s very important works.

Henry Gurr

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June 2006

New Book Shows Relation of Pirsig to Dewey and Aesthetic Education.

Anthony McWatt sends the following news:

Pirsig has pointed out to me recently that a book relating his work and John Dewey's is due to be published this November by Palgrave Macmillan. It's titled “John Dewey, Robert Pirsig, and the Art of Living: Revising Aesthetic Education” (ISBN 1-4039-7402-0). The author is David A. Granger (PhD from University of Chicago!) who is the Associate Professor of Education at the State University of New York at Genese. Grainger has already published some other work on the pragmatists such as "Recovering the Everyday: John Dewey as Emersonian Pragmatist."

Book information at: http://www.palgrave.com/products/Catalogue.aspx?is=1403974020

Professor Granger does not appear to have a webpage, but his article on Educational Philosophy can be found at: http://www.oneonta.edu/library/edchange/2003_2004/art02.pdf

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May 2006

Recent Book, Doing School, Experimentally Confirms ZMM's Discussions of 1) the Problems of Grades in Education and 2) the Problems of Rote Meaningless Learning in USA Schools.

Doing School, by Denise Clark Pope, discusses at length the problems caused by the over emphasis of grades in our schools. For a whole school year author Pope "shadows" five students who are above average performers in an above average public high school. She reports, often in their student's own words, their high stressed lives. Pope tells us of these students’ academic experiences: hopes and fears, ambitions and doubts, successes and problems. It is clear that these students’ drive for high grades is destructive of the educational enterprise and does not foster the students’ own desire to learn and develop. They have not learned meaningfully nor with sufficient understanding. Pope makes it clear to us, that this is what the "system" promotes, rewards, and indeed demands! These students are turned into robots cranking out learned facts on the next exam, with the de-facto plan to forget what they have joylessly memorized, as they start the study cycle for the next exam. Real learning and a real education never has a chance! Overall, Doing School does a very good extensive job at documenting and experimentally confirming ZMM concerning the educational losses and problems created by grades

A good review of Doing School by George Abaunza, expands on my discussion. You can read the review at either of the following links:

http://www.devereux1.org/books/books.php?id=2162&type=de or
http://www.ozarkguidance.org/poc/view_doc.php?id=2162&type=book&cn=28

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May 2006

Now for Practically Any Book on Amazon.com, You Can Get Interesting Statistical Information, Book Cross References, and Conduct a "Search Inside"!

Below I give instructions how to use this new Amazon feature, to see valuable and interesting information about most books, like for example ''Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"! You will be able to search for (and view) specific words and passages as well as get information about ZMM such as word frequency, relative reading difficulty, a list of books mentioned by ZMM, and a list of books that in turn mention ZMM. These new abilities are in addition to the ability to see the books’ covers, view inside (front and rear) covers, and read several pages. (These abilities have been available for several years now). Be aware that to use this new feature you will have to have an Amazon.com account, user name and password. You will automatically get these if you have purchased books from Amazon.

To use the Amazon "Search Inside", you must have an Amazon.com log-on and password AND have purchased from them. Here is what you do: Bring up Amazon.com on your browser. Then find a book that has the special "Search Inside" Icon. This has a large red curved arrow and the words search inside in green and blue. (I provide a link to a handy example below in this section.) Place your mouse cursor on this icon, and a bunch of choices will come up. Have fun clicking to find what each of these choices is all about! Some choices will request your user name and password.

[SITEMASTER’S NOTE: But “Search Inside” did not always work for me. Although the Amazon "Search Inside" usually worked great for me, sometimes I would get a warning saying "Important Message: You don't satisfy the criteria to use the ‘Search Inside’ feature (such as you haven't purchased books from Amazon). Under this "Important Message" condition, I could not get the most (useful) of the "Search Inside" results. After several e-mails to "Amazon.com Help", I learned that I couldn't get "Search Inside" to work because I had TWO Amazon.com accounts, and I did not seem able to avoid the "bad" one! Again with the "Amazon.com Help", I supplied my old credit card number, which identified my old account with which I had purchased books. This allowed me to delete the other (bad) account, and now I can use all the great features of the Amazon "Search Inside".]

Click here to use the Amazon "Search Inside" feature with ZMM book.

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April 2006.

Seven New Pages Have Been Added to ZMM Quality. Plus New Revisions of Home and Gallery Info Page.

Check out my newly created pages. They are the top eight items in the main menu at the upper left. Even the Home Page (menu top) is revised. Also the ZMM Gallery Captions Codes Page (menu 11th item) has been newly revised. If you have been away from ZMM Quality for a while, here are new material and new resources for Pirsig's Book. Enjoy! Let me know if you have any suggestions.

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April 2006.

Now Available: Zen and the Art of Teaching, a Masters Thesis by Grant K Hansen.

Zen and the Art Of Teaching: Using the Novel Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance for a Course of Study in Advanced Placement Literature and Composition by Grant K. Hansen, Weber State College, Ogden, Utah.

I have recently obtained the complete text of this document and will share with those ZMM researchers and teachers who are interested. I am seeking permission to post this document on this website. Please contact me if you know how to contact Mr. Hansen or know the person who grants copyright permissions at Weber State College.

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Below Is an Archive of Older "News".

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July 2005.

John Sutherland Interview DVD Now Available.

In the Summer of 2003 I conducted a Video Interview with Mr. John Sutherland, one of the four main people in the ZMM book. I have completed an 80 Minute DVD-Movie of this interview which will be sold for $15 plus $4 p&h. This DVD also has 35 of my photos of Mr. Sutherland, his home, his drums and photos of Robert Pirsig's old Minneapolis home and neighborhood. Also on this DVD are three "movie-maps" showing: 1) A mark-up of Mr. Pirsig's original planed route for traveling from Minneapolis. 2) A mark-up of Mr. Pirsig's original planed route for traveling the return trip and 2) The ZMM Route as stated in the ZMM book.

If you are interested in receiving a copy of this DVD, or need other information, please contact me as soon as possible.

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January 2005.

ZMM Photo CD Available Soon.

My entire collection of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" research results and digital photos will soon be available on a Compact Disk (CD). In my ZMM Research and travel on the ZMM Route, I was able to discover many sites mentioned in the book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". I have collected a considerable amount of potentially useful Information. For example: photographs, maps, and ZMM site directions. A limited selection of these results is being placed on ZMM Quality webpages and in ZMM Quality Gallery Photo Albums. As soon as possible, an extensive collection of my research results, conclusions, and digital photos will be available on a Compact Disk (CD). If you are interested in purchasing a copy of this CD, or need other information, please contact me as soon as possible.

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Summer 2003

Travel Guide for the ZMM Route Is Being Revised.

My Travel Guide for the ZMM Route is currently being revised to include new "On Site" ZMM Route Research Information. This Travel Guide describes how to follow the same route originally taken in July 1968 by Robert Pirsig and his son Chris. This trip provided the very real experiences upon which Mr. Pirsig based his book.

In June/July 2002 I traveled (and researched) the entire "ZMM Route". I attempted to find, and photograph, every sight/scene described in ZMM: Summaries of what I found are on ZMMquality.org as follows:

To see the current version of ZMM Route "Travel Guide", click on it in the Main Menu at upper left.

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April 2003.

Gallery Slide Show Instructions.

To read instructions on how to view my gallery using the "Gallery Slide Show", click on "Gallery Slideshow Info" in the Main Menu at upper left.

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August 2003.

Photographs Taken by Robert Pirsig When He Was on His Original 1968 Trip.

My "ZMM Quality Photo Gallery" Albums now have photographs taken by Robert Pirsig when he was on his original 1968 trip. These "ZMM Quality Photo Gallery" Albums now also have approximately 760 of my pictures from my own 2002 ZMM Route Research trip. To view these photos, click on "Photo Gallery" in the Main Menu at upper left.

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Please Ask If You Desire More Information.

In addition to the above, I have much ZMM and Pirsig information. I anticipate making this information available to serious ZMM researchers or biographers.

END News

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Other New Developments Pending on This ZMM Quality Site.

Regularly I discover new ideas or materials for this site, but have no time at the moment to post them. So I "Stick" these in a special place waiting for me.
To see my scrambled collection of ideas and text for "Future Work" go here: New Work In Progress.

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Links to Additional Reading Related to the Above Archival Material

ZMMQ Pages Containing Additional Historical Information:

1) Photos of Faculty, Administrators, and Students at Montana State College: 1956-1960

2) “Books I’ve Enjoyed” by Sarah Jennings Vinke, with added commentary by Dennis Gary and Henry Gurr (Originally published, 1960, in the Montana Library Association Journal)

3) Commentary Regarding “Books I’ve Enjoyed” and Information About Viewing on the Internet
by Dennis Gary and Henry Gurr

4) Henry Gurr’s Montana State University Archives Page

5) Pirsig Memory “The Divine Sarah”

6) Vinke, Pirsig, and the Origins of “Quality” and “MOQ”

7) Letters to and from Bozeman: Shirley Luhrsen and Sarah Vinke:

ZMMQ Pages by Dennis Gary, a Former Student of Dr. Sarah Vinke at MSC/MSU:

8) Archives Commentary and Connections to Memories of Sarah Vinke, Louis Vinke, Allan Kittell, and Robert Pirsig

9) The Sarah Vinke of My Student Days A Student’s Memories of “Mrs.” Professor Sarah Vinke

10) Following the Footsteps of My Mentor, Professor Sarah Vinke: My Life as an English Teacher, and Other Memories

11) Dennis Gary’s Values in Thought and Action: My Standards at School and in My Career

12) Memories of Deer Creek Mountain Ranch (an MSC Faculty Outing)

Pages on the Internet Devoted to Robert Pirsig:

13) Robert Pirsig Association Page (previosuly Anthony McWatt's website)Robert Pirsig Site

14) Ian Glendinning’s Pirsig Pages on Psybertron

15) Gary Wegner’s Travelogue of Pirsig’s 1968 Motorcycle Trip

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Edit David M. 09 Oct 2024.
Last Revised David M. 09 Mar 2021.
File = ZMMQNewsArchiveDJM09102024.rtf

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