"Quality is the parent, the source of all subjects and objects." - Robert Pirsig |
Welcome to ZMM Quality! Teaching, Learning, and Exploring the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.Here you will find photos, travel information, essays, and links to => A great many resources concerning the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZMM) by Robert Pirsig. This information has been collected through the collaborative efforts of many people. If you are one of those persons, Pirsig enthusiasts around the world thank you! Explore this site and see what the efforts of so many Quality-minded people have accomplished! Connect with ZMMQuality via Social Media!Join the community discussing all things Pirsig and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
Connect with the Robert Pirsig Association (RPA)Website: https://www.robertpirsig.org
Oct 2024 Photo of Nine Year Old Robert Pirsig EmergesDigging through newspaper archives, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance fan Jason Kirin discovered a long lost photo of Robert M. Pirsig as a boy. The photo from an April 21, 1937 edition of the Minneapolis Star shows Pirsig seated among his classmates at the Blake School (mentioned in Pirsig’s second novel Lila) while another student speaks as part of a mock symphony fundraising drive. We’ve shared the photo with Jason’s ready permission via the ZMMQuality Facebook page here. Oct 2024 LilaOctober Is HereThis will be our 5th annual month-long social media celebration of Robert M. Pirsig’s second novel, Lila: An Inquiry into Morals. To join in the celebration, use the hashtag #LilaOctober and/or check out ZMMQuality’s social media channels listed above. Published in 1991 after a long 17-year gestation as a follow up to Pirsig’s smash success with 1974’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, the narrator Phaedrus once again confronts madness traveling on a sailboat down the Hudson River. The action of the novel takes place in October. In Lila, Pirsig further develops his philosophical ideas on Quality and articulates a Metaphysics of Quality (MOQ). To mark the 30th anniversary of Lila's publication back in 2021, we asked Dan Glover, editor of Lila’s Child: An Inquiry into Quality, to reflect on the anniversary in an essay special to ZMMQuality. Read it here:
Sept 2024 DangerMouth Podcast Interviews Philosopher Steve BarboneThe DangerMouth Podcast from Robert Pirsig Association member Darrell Mann has marked the ZMM50th anniversary with an interview of Dr. Steve Barbone, chair of the Philosophy Department at San Diego State University. Dr. Barbone gave a talking marking the ZMM50th at the San Diego Public Library in May, which we announced.
Sept 2024 Conversations Series Marks ZMM50th AnniversarySevilla King, creator of the A Quality Existence YouTube Channel, is marking the ZMM50th Anniversary with a series of conversations interviews with Robert Pirsig Association members and ZMM aficionados. Published so far: Mark Richardson, author of Zen and Now.
Aug 2024 RPA Publishes #ZMM50thRide Report #1The Robert Pirsig Association (RPA) has published a #ZMM50thRide Report #1 Minneapolis to Bozeman documenting this past July's retracing of the Zen trail to mark the 50th anniversary of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. While you are on the Robert Pirsig Association website you can also sign up for email updates under the Subscribe menu item. Check out the report here: https://www.robertpirsig.org/news/ Aug 2024 Mark Richardson Column Post #ZMM50thRide PublishedPirsig Pilgrim Mark Richardson and author of Zen and Now: On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance reflects on the #ZMM50thRide, a ride organized by the Robert Pirsig Association to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig, in a second column published in the Toronto Globe & Mail. Scroll further down to read his first column.
Jul 2024 TV News Coverage of the #ZMM50thRideThe #ZMM50thRide is underway… Kare11 in Minneapolis-St. Paul was published this news story:
Jul 2024 Pioneer Press Article on ZMM50thRideAs Pirsig Pilgrims are converging on Minneapolis for the #ZMM50th Minneapolis Gathering on Sunday and the #ZMM50thRide retracing the motorcycle trip described in Robert M. Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Twin Cities newspaper the Pioneer Press has an article detailing the upcoming events.
Jun 2024 Mark Richardson Column Reflects on ZMM50th, Richardson to Speak During ZMM50thRideMark Richardson reflects on the 50th anniversary of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and anticipates the ZMM50thRide Pirsig Pilgrim motorcycle ride/caravan this July in this article published in Toronto's Globe and Daily Mail. Richardson, author of Zen and Now: On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, will be speaking at the Robert Pirsig Association's ZMM50th Minneapolis Gathering Sunday July 7th 2pm and at Oakes Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Monday July 8th 7pm in Oakes, ND. More information on the ride and the events can be found at https://www.robertpirsig.org Jun 2024 Robert Pirsig Association Plans Minneapolis Gathering Sunday July 7thJoin us Sunday July 7th for the ZMM50th Minneapolis Gathering 2pm to 5pm at the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center, 3343 E Bde Maka Ska Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55408. This will be the first face to face meeting for the Robert Pirsig Association featuring special speakers Mark Richardson, author of Zen and Now: On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and Ian Glendinning, co-chair of the Robert Pirsig Association, socializing & sharing, and the first meeting for the ZMM50thRide, a Minneapolis to San Francisco motorcycle ride/car caravan departing the next day inspired by Pirsig's 1968 trip featured in his famous book. Free and open to the public. Space is limited. Please register: https://forms.gle/UbPRE88hZ5kutZ2B8 Sponsored by the Robert Pirsig Association, www.robertpirsig.org for more information & to subscribe to the RPA's email announcements. May 2024 Art of Manliness Podcast Marks ZMM50thThe Art of Manliness podcast marks the 50th anniversary of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig with an interview of Mark Richardson, author of Zen and Now: On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, who retraced Pirsig's motorcycle ride west.
May 2024 BBC Publishes Audio Program Marking ZMM50thAn excellent BBC's hour-long Archive on 4 audio program "Turning 50: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" with Christopher Harding marks the 50th anniversary of Robert M. Pirsig's "cult classic" book by taking a deep dive into its influence and philosophy.
May 2024 #ZMMBeyondEnglish Call for Information about Translations of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle MaintenanceZMM Beyond English is seeking information on translated editions of ZMM and LILA. If you possess or know of such editions, please contribute to our collective effort by adding the information to the linked survey: https://forms.gle/Z98HJjjuuCYRf12aA Editions and design history of ZMM have been an area of interest for many. Here is C. Bartneck’s 2020 paper “The Design History of Robert M. Pirsig’s Books” Apr 2024 ZMM50th Talk Planned in San DiegoThe San Diego Public Library hosts a Philosophy Talk: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance at 50 next Monday May 6th 6:30PM-8PM at the San Diego Central Library's Mary Hollis Clark Conference Center, 330 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101. Professor Steven Barbone, chair of San Diego State University's Philosophy Department, leads a 50th anniversary discussion of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig, one of the most influential books of the past half century and the bestselling philosophical book of all time. A summer motorcycle trip across the American West undertaken by a father and his son, the book is a personal and philosophical odyssey into fundamental questions of how to live. Can a parent’s ferocious love counter the everyday confusions of existence? Might the care for a technological object like a motorcycle lead to clarity? And when is a motorcycle not a motorcycle? The talk is free, but registration is required. MORE INFO/REGISTRATION:
Apr 2024 Series of three USA Today Articles by George Petras and Veronica Bravo Marks ZMM50thUSA Today is marking the ZMM50th anniversary with a series of three articles by George Petras and Veronica Bravo. "Famous Bike From 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' Finds New (Very Public) Home" USA Today, April 11, 2024.
"What is it Like to Work on Robert Pirsig's Zen Cycle? Museum Curators Can Tell You" USA Today, April 12, 2024.
"'Pirsig Pilgrims' Pay Homage to Famous 'Zen' Author by Recreating Motorcycle Ride" USA Today, April 15, 2024.
Apr 2024 Online Chautauqua with Wendy Pirsig, James Landis Announced by Robert Pirsig AssociationThe Robert Pirsig Association (RPA) has announced its inaugural Online Chautauqua in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance for Sunday April 28th at 11am EST. Featuring Wendy Pirsig (Robert Pirsig's widow, editor of On Quality), James Landis (editor of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance), Q&A and an intro and update on the Robert Pirsig Association. The Online Chautauqua is now available as a YouTube video on the Robert Pirsig Association YouTube Channel here. You can also sign up for email updates & check out more 50th anniversary events on the Robert Pirsig Association website menu: https://www.robertpirsig.org/ Apr 2024 Robert Pirsig Association Meet Up for Opening of Zen and the Open Road Smithsonian Exhibit in DCThe Zen and the Open Road exhibit featuring Robert M. Pirsig's Honda CB77 Superhawk motorcycle and other memorabilia will open at the Smithsonian's Museum of American History in Washington DC on Monday April 15th, the 50th anniversary of the publication of Pirsig's novel Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Pirsig fans are invited to a Meet Up at the Smithsonian hosted by Sevilla of the A Quality Existence YouTube channel to celebrate the opening of the exhibit and commemorate the 50th anniversary of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, gathering at 11:45 am for a presentation with Paul F. Johnston, the Smithsonian curator of the exhibit. If you are interested in being part of this Meet Up, please sign up here (you may have to create a Meet Up account): https://www.meetup.com/zen-and-the-art-of-motorcycle-maintenance-50th-anniversary/ Another event organized by the Robert Pirsig Association: https://www.robertpirsig.org/zmm50th/ Zen and the Open Road Exhibit at the Smithsonian: https://www.si.edu/exhibitions/zen-and-open-road%3Aevent-exhib-6718 Mar 2024 Nancy James, Robert Pirsig’s first wife, Passes AwayNancy Ann James, Robert M. Pirsig's first wife, passed away at the age of 90 on March 7, 2024. She had been living in Hawaii under the care of her son Ted. Our condolences to her friends and family. Her obituary reveals the life of an extraordinary woman, only hinted at in the usual discourse about Pirsig and his famous novel. Nancy shared some of Robert M. Pirsig's greatest highs... the meteoric success of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance... and worst lows... his institutionalization and slow rehabilitation, and of course the tragic death of their son Chris Pirsig just before his 23rd birthday. Nancy likewise shared a keen interest in Zen Buddhism. To get a fuller picture of her life, please read her obituary:
Mar 2024 AdventureRider Magazine Features Upcoming ZMM50thRideAdventure Rider's article on the 50th anniversary of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig published last week has generated a lot of interest in the literary anniversary and the #ZMM50thRide commemorative group ride in July.
Mar 2024 Restored Honda CB77 Superhawk Joining ZMM50thRideJon Kosmoski of Kosmoto Customs in Florida is restoring a 1965 Honda CB77 motorcycle to resemble Robert M. Pirsig's bike in time to ride it on the #ZMM50thRide this July, the commemorative group ride marking the 50th anniversary of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by retracing the epic Minneapolis to Bozeman to San Francisco journey described in the book. To follow Jon's restoration of the motorcycle, go to his Facebook page and look for the "Pirsig ZMM Replica CB77" album: https://www facebook.com/kosmotocustoms To learn more about the #ZMM50thRide and how to participate, go here: https://www.robertpirsig.org/the-zmm50th-anniversary-ride-zmm50thride/ Feb 2024 Lee Glover Posts John Sutherland Interview Video to Celebrate ZMM50thA John Sutherland interview video from 2008 by Lee Glover has been published on YouTube. Lee writes: "For my part in celebrating the golden anniversary of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance I am publishing all of the interviews and interesting video recorded during my ZMM journey from 2008 to 2012. My first installment is an interview with John Sutherland conducted in July of 2008." Look for additional videos to be posted on Lee Glover’s YouTube channel.
Lee Glover’s John Sutherland Interview:
Feb 2024 Harper Collins Publishes 50th Anniversary Edition of ZMMOn Tuesday Feb 13th, the 50th anniversary edition of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig published by Harper Collins went on sale. The edition features a new introduction by Matthew B. Crawford, author of Shop Class as Soul Craft. The cover features a Honda CB77 Superhawk, the model Pirsig owned that will go on display at the Smithsonian on April 15, 2024, the 50th anniversary of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance's publication. "The bestselling, highly influential masterpiece about one man’s search for meaning on a motorcycle trip through the American West—an enduring roadmap for living a richer, more purposeful existence... Sometimes it's better to travel than to arrive." Read more of Harper Collins' glowing advertising copy (under the About tab): https://www.harpercollins.com/products/zen-and-the-art-of-motorcycle-maintenance-50th-anniversary-edition-robert-m-pirsig?variant=41074416648226 Jan 2024 Group Ride in July Commemorating #ZMM50th Anniversary PlannedThe Robert Pirsig Association has announced a commemorative ride retracing the Minneapolis to San Francisco motorcycle trip west described in the Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to mark the 50th anniversary of the book, dubbed the #ZMM50thRide: Pirsig Pilgrims will gather in Minneapolis, MN The Weeknd of Saturday July 6th & Sunday July 7th, departing Monday July 8th, the same day and date that the Pirsig’s & the Sutherlands departed on their 1968 (as best we tell). Arriving in Bozeman, MT Saturday July 13th. Arriving in San Francisco TBA. Join fellow Pirsig fans for the journey with stops at all the essential locations to relive the sights and scenes described in the book. If you interested, whether you can join us for all or just part of the ride, whether you’ll be riding a classic Honda CB77 Superhawk or a BMW R/60 or something more modern, whether you’ll be retracing the “Zen route” on two wheels or want to follow it in a car or a truck, contact us:
Jan 2024 Smithsonian Exhibit Featuring Pirsig Memorabilia to Open on ZMM50th Anniversary“Zen and the Open Road” opens at the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History in Washington DC on the 50th anniversary of the publication of Zen and the Art of Mother Maintenance, April 15, 2024. The exhibit curated by Paul F. Johnston features Robert M. Pirsig’s 1966 Honda CB77 Superhawk motorcycle as well other Pirsig memorabilia.
Jan 2024 Centennial of Influential Montana Sculptor Peter Voulkos Mentioned in ZMMJanuary 29th marks the centennial of the birth of sculptor Peter Voulkos to Greek immigrant parents in Bozeman, MT. Voulkos would revolutionize ceramics sculpture, pioneering Abstract Expressionism in ceramics while riding the traditional gap between arts & crafts and fine art. After serving in WWII, Voulkos returned to Montana to study painting and printmaking at Montana State. Studying under Frances Senska, Voulkos found his passion and specialized in ceramics. Voulkos also studied under Robert DeWeese and was part of the DeWeese’s circle of artists and friends. Indeed, Voulkos and life-long friend fellow artist Rudy Autio welcomed the DeWeeses to Montana by helping them when they had car trouble arriving in the state, dispatched by art department. Voulkos and Autio later became the first resident artists at the Archive Bray Foundation for Ceramic Arts in Helena, MT. Voulkos is referenced with a slight misspelling at the dinner party at the DeWeeses described in Chapter 14 of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance… Sylvia murmurs to John to notice the large pots and vases around the room. "I was noticing those," John says. "Fantastic." "Those were made by Peter Voulkas," Sylvia says. "Is that right?" "He was a student of Mr. DeWeese." "Oh, for Christ’s sake! I almost kicked one of those over." DeWeese laughs. LEARN MORE about Peter Voulkos:
Jan 2024 ZMMQuality’s Henry Gurr Publishes Zen Route GPS WayPointsHenry Gurr's 604 Collected GPS Waypoints of the travel route so accurately described in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig, displayed are now available as a Google Map and/or can be imported into a GPS device. Based on Gurr's Summer 2002 research trip and photos, and also more recent research to include locations of interest, ZMM Route travel stops and additional information. The ZMM Route begins in Minneapolis, MN and ends in San Francisco, CA. View the Google Map map here. These GPS Waypoints.gpx, imported into your GPS-enabled handheld device or displayed on a Google Map, will nicely provide a travel guide for anyone seriously contemplating a trip along what may be called “The ZMM Route." The GPS WayPoints mark all the roads, so you can follow the same highways described in the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZMM). To a good approximation, these were the highways actually taken by author Robert Pirsig in the Summer of 1968. These GPS WayPoints.gpx provide a guide to find nearly all of the sights and scenes depicted in the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZMM). The GPS WayPoints can be used in conjunction with study of the photos and captions in Henry Gurr’s ZMM Sights and Scenes Illustrated Photo Albums. TO IMPORT THESE GPS WAYPOINTS.gpx into your GPS enabled handheld device, we recommend you use EasyGPS.com software (free download).
Jan 2024 ZMM50th, 2024 is the 50th Anniversary of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle MaintenanceZen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig was published April 15, 1974. To mark the 50th anniversary, the Robert Pirsig Association has issued #ZMM50th, a Call to Celebrate asking fans and scholars alike worldwide to mark the anniversary. See al list of ZMM50th events and Read the call here:
Dec 2023 Pranay Sanklecha Article on ZMM50th and PhilosophyIndia's The Week magazine features an article by philosopher Pranay Sanklecha celebrating Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance's 50th anniversary in 2024, explaining the importance of philosophy today, and listing a top ten of philosophy books running the gamut from Plato to Camus. Sanklecha writes: "Robert Pirsig was a true philosopher. His book is a serious, sustained and passionate 'inquiry into values.' With burning intensity, with transparent sincerity, he asks: what is really valuable? What truly matters?" Dec 2023 Motorcycling Magazine Reprints ZMM ReviewUltimate Motorcycling just reprinted a 2004 review of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig. Includes a nice photo of Pirsig's Honda CB77 Superhawk from the Smithsonian.
Nov 2023 Speakers Bureau Announced by Robert Pirsig AssociationCanadian journalist and author of Zen and Now: On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Mark Richardson headlines the Robert Pirsig Association's Speaker Bureau. It is hoped this will be a resource for those wishing to book a speaker to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance dubbed #ZMM50th in 2024. Learn more about Mark Richardson and the other speakers here: https://www.robertpirsig.org/speakers-bureau/ Oct 2023 Robert Pirsig Association Formed, Call to Mark ZMM 50th AnniversaryThe newly formed Robert Pirsig Association has announced #ZMM50TH: A Call to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. April 15, 2024 marks 50 years since the publication of Robert M. Pirsig's classic book. The Robert Pirsig Association is calling on Pirsig fans and scholars alike everywhere to mark the 50th anniversary throughout 2024 with Chautauquas, book clubs, and creative endeavors in hot pursuit of Quality.
Sign up for Robert Pirsig Association email updates/contact to get involved: https://www.robertpirsig.org/log-in/ RPA Homepage: https://www.robertpirsig.org Sept 2023 15th Anniversary of Mark Richardson’s Zen and NowCanadian motorcycle journalist Mark Richardson's book Zen and Now: On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was published fifteen years ago, September 9, 2008, the 40th anniversary year of Pirsig's original ride. Richardson not only retraced Pirsig's ride, but also dug in and researched the back story of Pirsig and the novel, revealing new details. Sadly, Richardson's great ZenandNow.org website is only available now in archive LINK, but his new author website does still offer a free download of the first Chapter 1 and has a gallery of photos Pirsig fans will want to check out: https://markrichardson.ca/zen-and-now/ LEARN MORE... Read/Listen to this Minnesota Public Radio segment on Richardson and his book: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2008/09/09/richardson Mark Richardson's photos from the trip in the ZMMQuality Gallery: http://venturearete.org/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/gallery/MarkRichardson Aug 2023 Video Pairs ZMM Narration with Motorcycling the Beartooth HighwayA YouTube video featuring motorcycling on the Beartooth Highway overlaid with with narration from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance has been published. Special thanks to Adlar Duran for sharing.
Aug 2023 Pirsig Pilgrim Documentary Entered in Toronto Film Festival, Available OnlinePete Blasdale's hour long documentary Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Touring has been selected for the Toronto Motorcycle Film Festival (TMFF), one of seven featured films. The documentary follows Pirsig Pilgrim and Kiwi Des Molloy on his 2006 retrace of the Zen ride with a vintage Honda CB77 Superhawk and a BMW R69S. Des recounts the experience in his 2021 book Zen and the Last Hurrah: In the Wheel-Tracks of Robert Pirsig Across Back Country America, including many passages from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
June 2023 Pirsig Student at Montana State Shares Memories, CorrespondenceMontana writer James Ostby was a freshman student in one of Robert M. Pirsig's English composition classes at Montana State College in the Fall quarter of 1959. James was kind enough to share his recollections and some of his correspondence with Pirsig, available to read here: http://venturearete.org/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/Documents/JamesOstbyInPirsigClass
June 2023 Pirsig Pilgrim Retraces Zen Route on Electric BikePirsig Pilgrim Greg Hassler retraced the ZMM Route with his daughter Julia in July 2020 riding a Zero Motorcycles electric bike. Greg did a good amount of research in preparation and made a video blog of their travels. Check out his website here:
Recent Articles"What can we learn from the philosophers of the open road?" asks long distance motorcyclist J.R. Patterson in “The Biker's Bible" published March 2, 2023 in the New Humanist. Patterson takes a deep look into Robert M. Pirsig's quest for Quality in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and contrasts it with Ted Simon's Jupiter's Travels. Anastasia Rose Hyden looks into ”The Long History of the the Figurative “Literally” and 8 Great Writers Who Used It” published March 20, 2023 by Mental Floss. Of course, Robert M. Pirsig is included among those writers. Steven Mintz’s “Making Mastery a Core Education Value” published May 18, 2023 in Inside Higher Education credits Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance with making a contribution to the question "What is the value of originality, authenticity, uniqueness and craftsmanship in today’s digital world? A review of Adam Gopnik's book The Real Work: The Mystery of Mastery, Mintz’s article itself is worth the read while Gopnik's ideas discussed in this article might be a good complement to Pirsig's critique of education. Gumption Garage? "ARC Garage, which began in 1977 as a social experiment for a new kind of automotive repair garage... Originally, no payment was accepted for services; customers would instead come in and receive guidance on how to repair their vehicles. “It put production in the hands of the workers,” said Tom Stringer, a longtime mechanic at ARC Garage." “ARC Garage Closes” was published March 8, 2023 in the Daily Hampshire Gazette. No mention of Pirsig, but adjacent ideas. May 2023 Video by Mechanic Who Restored Pirsig’s MotorcycleSteven Michaelis restored Robert M. Pirsig's 1964 Honda CB77 Super Hawk motorcycle after 35 years of being left in a barn. This is the motorcycle Pirsig and his son Chris rode west in 1968 on that epic trip described in his1974 novel Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Michaelis recorded this video right before loading it up and returning it to Pirsig. The motorcycle was donated to the Smithsonian after Pirsig passed away and will undoubtedly be the star of the Smithsonian's exhibit for the 50th anniversary of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to open in 2024. Thanks to John Cheston for sharing this video with us on Twitter. April 2023 ZMMQuality's Henry Gurr Publishes Google Earth Maps of ZMM LocationsHenry Gurr announces that his following Google Earth projects are completed and ready to be viewed: For best enjoyment of these below 3D Google Earth Views, AND for maximum understanding at each Blue Pinpoint, you should 1) Have the ZMM Route photos you are looking at, AND CONCURRENTLY 2) Have either of the Blue Links below => on a separate Computer, or Cell Phone screen.
Mountain Climbing Route of Chris and the Narrator…A) GoogleEarth 3D Viewing Of A “Mountain Climbing Route of Chris and the Narrator, In The Gallatin National Forest (GNF) South of Bozeman, MT. This Route Fits Mountain Climb Narrative, In The Book Zen and the Art Or Motorcycle Maintenance (ZMM) by Robert Pirsig.”
If You Don't Have The Resources Or Time To Climb The Trail, Or Even Drive There!
Beartooth Highway…B) GoogleEarth 3D Viewing Of ZMM Book Route Along Montana & Wyoming’s Beartooth Highway From => ZMM Town Of Laurel, MT To Highest Parts Of The Beartooth Plateau (~11,000 ft Elevation). And then To East Gate Of Yellowstone National Park, Go By YNP’s Mammoth Hot Springs Calcite Formations, And Then To ZMM Town Of Gardener, MT.
Zen Route from Leggett, CA and After…C) GoogleEarth 3D Viewing of “ZMM Route” => Starting ZMMQ Photo Album Part 4 at 18 miles west of Leggett, CA. And then continuing Along the Mountainous California Coast To > Mendocino, CA. Then Inland To Ukiah, CA. And Then Via US-101 > San Francisco. Click Here. Mar 2023 Yellowstone Art Museum Exhibits DeWeese Art, Montana ModernistsThe Yellowstone Art Museum (YAM) in Billings, MT is hosting a Montana Modernists exhibit curated by art historian Michele Corriel, author of Montana Modernists: Shifting Perceptions of Western Art, a book just listed as an Honor Book by the Montana Book Award. Art in the exhibit is drawn mostly from the museum's own extensive collection, including all six artists profiled in Corriel's book: Isabelle Johnson, Bill Stockton, Jessie Wilber, Frances Senska, and of course Robert and Gennie DeWeese. Pirsig fans will remember the DeWeeses as his Bozeman, MT friends from his time teaching at Montana State described in his book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. The Montana Modernists exhibit at the Yellowstone Art Museum runs through June 11, 2023. Learn more: "Curating a Community: Book, YAM Celebrate Montana Modernists" by Jake Iverson, Billings Gazette, Feb 6, 2023. Mar 2023 New Documentary of Pirsig Pilgrim Des Molloy's 2006 RidePete Blasdale's hour long documentary Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Touring screened March 5th in Takaka, New Zealand. The film follows Pirsig Pilgrim and Kiwi Des Molloy on his 2006 retrace of the Zen ride with a vintage Honda CB77 Superhawk and a BMW R69S. Des recounts the experience in his 2021 book Zen and the Last Hurrah: In the Wheel-Tracks of Robert Pirsig Across Back Country America, including many passages from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. View a short trailer about the documentary here: https://youtu.be/nX8z5GdjLZg
Jan 2023 Recent Column Describes ZMM As Book Worth Re-ReadingNorth Carolina writer O.C. Stonestreet describes three books he re-reads every year: Homer's The Odyssey, Robert M. Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and William Least Heat-Moon's Blue Highways.
Jan 2023 ZMMQuality’s Top 10 of 20221. On Quality: An Inquiry into Excellence, Selected and Unpublished Writings by Robert M. Pirsig, edited by Wendy K. Pirsig published 5 years after his passing.
Honorable Mention:
Dec 2022 Archival Video of Robert M. Pirsig Talk in 1974 EmergesAn incredible hour-long video of Robert M. Pirsig speaking at the Minneapolis College of Art May 20, 1974 just a month after the publication of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was just posted to YouTube by Ted Pirsig, Robert's son, from newly digitized archival footage found by Wendy Pirsig. We see him speak on "the book he didn't write and the book he did write." A transcript of this talk makes up the first chapter, Introduction: The Right Way, in On Quality: An Inquiry into Excellence, Unpublished and Selected Writings by Robert M. Pirsig, edited by Wendy K. Pirsig. We also see in the video, Pirsig, who struggled with stagefright, temporizing with the audience before beginning his talk sans introduction. We've often been asked "what was Pirsig like?" This video perhaps gives the best glimpse. Special thanks to Ian Glendinning of the Psybertron Pirsig Page blog for alerting us.
Oct 2022 The New Yorker Publishes Article Reexamining Pirsig"Returning Again, to Robert M. Pirsig" by Jay Caspian Kang, published in The New Yorker Oct 25, 2022, reexamines Pirsig's search for Quality.
On Quality: Posthumous Collection of Robert M. Pirsig’s Writings Published 5 Years After His PassingRobert M. Pirsig's posthumous book On Quality: An Inquiry into Excellence, Unpublished and Selected Writings by Robert M. Pirsig, edited by his wife Wendy K. Pirsig, was published on Tuesday April 26th just after the 5th anniversary of Robert's passing. "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." On Quality Related Updates:News related to the new book On Quality: An Inquiry into Excellence, Unpublished and Selected Writings by Robert M. Pirsig, edited by Wendy K. Pirsig.
Please see our News Archive for previous news items.RIP Robert M. Pirsig (1928-2017) Here is a link to an obituary of Robert Pirsig, including an excellent pictureAt 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 which is a very well-done and comprehensive article. “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. A Very Good Interview with Robert Pirsig, Possibly his Last.This new interview, by Tim Adams, contains information not previously seen.
This interview also contains Tim Adams’s own summary and observations regarding his conversation with Robert Pirsig. An interesting list of "ZMM Facts" comes at the end of the article. If you are a beginner, one of your first visits should be the pages opened by the links directly below:1) For a brief introduction to the contents of the ZMM Quality Website see ZMMQ Site For Beginners.
I Want to Hear From You! Send Me an E-mail:1) If you have some interesting new information or a story to tell. OR
Please Do Not Hesitate to Send an E-mail to HenryG*usca.edu (replace the asterisk with the appropriate character).Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on the ZMM Quality Website and and/or in association with the Robert Pirsig Photographs are entirely those of the Site Master, Henry Gurr. The contents of the site have not been approved by the University of South Carolina Aiken. For more information, click on Legal and Copyright in the links menu at upper left. Click here to return to the top of this Home Page:
Click here to go to the first albums of my Robert Pirsig and ZMM Photo Gallery: http://venturearete.org/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/gallery/ For additional information on the projects above, and for information on many other ZMM-related topics equally worthy of attention, click here to go to my ZMMQ News and News Archive Page:
Links to Additional Reading Related to the Above MaterialZMMQ Pages Containing Additional Historical Information:1) Documents and Articles Concerning Sarah Vinke, Louis Vinke, and Robert Pirsig Found in the Archives at MSC/MSU and Tulane University 2) Photos of Faculty, Administrators, and Students at Montana State College: 1956-1960 3) “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) 4) Commentary Regarding “Books I’ve Enjoyed” and Information About Viewing on the Internet
5) Henry Gurr’s Montana State University Archives Page 6) Pirsig Memory “The Divine Sarah” 7) Shirley Luhrsen and Sarah Vinke: Letters to and from Bozeman 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) Websites Devoted to Robert Pirsig:13) Robert Pirsig Association Robert Pirsig Assoc. under construction 14) Ian Glendinning’s Pirsig Pages on Psybertron 15) Gary Wegner’s Travelogue of Pirsig’s 1968 Motorcycle Trip Edit by David M. 9 Oct 2024.
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