May 2012 News

 

 

New! Here's some exciting news provided courtesy of Robert Pirsig about next month's radio broadcast of a play based on ZMM:

 

Seventies cult classic to receive broadcast premiere

 

Liz Thomson • 02 May 2012

 

Robert M Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is to receive its world radio premiere in a BBC Radio 4 dramatisation to be broadcast next month.

 

Pirsig, then a computer programmer, wrote the novel over the course of four years, finally seeing publication in 1974 following rejections by, reportedly, 121 publishers. Zen has now sold around 5m copies.

Melanie Harris of Sparklab bought the radio drama rights from Lesley Pollinger of Pollinger, and the adaptation is by Peter Flannery. Recording begins this week, with James Purefoy, Max Cazier, Sean Power, Lucy Newman-Williams, Caitlin Thorburn and Paris Arrowsmith. The 90-minute drama will be broadcast on Saturday 23 June, and Vintage will tie in with a book promotion.

 

 

 

April 2012 News

 

New! Further to the publication of the first and second parts of the transcript of "The Metaphysics of Quality: A New Paradigm" featuring Robert Pirsig's discussion with Chip Baggett at the 1993 AHP Conference, please find the link to Part 3 of the transcript pasted below:

 

 

 

 

New! I am pleased to present the first promotion for all MOQ Discuss contributors.  This is a 25% discount during this month of April on any of the MOQ books and DVDs available at the shop at robertpirsig.org (including Alan McManus' new book "Alchemy at the Chalkface").  I'll define a contributor as anyone who has posted a substantive post at Discuss during the last six months. If this is of interest, just let me know you're a poster at MOQ Discuss by e-mail and I'll refund you the appropriate discount.

 

Otherwise, look out for the book by Michael Round which can be found at the following link:

http://www.rationalsys.com/architects.html

Like Alan McManus, Michael is largely concerned with the Art of teaching and has a serious interest in Robert Pirsig.  Though not directly based on ZMM or LILA, Michael's book is one of the most well written books about education that I've seen for a while. 

 

Be seeing you.

 

Dr McWatt

 

 

January 2012 News

 

New! Further to the publication of the first part of the transcript of "The Metaphysics of Quality: A New Paradigm" featuring Robert Pirsig's discussion with Chip Baggett at the 1993 AHP Conference, please find the link to Part 2 of the transcript pasted below:

 

 

Otherwise, I'm pleased to make available a PDF version of a new PhD which examines the Art of teaching through the prism of the MOQ by Dr Alan McManus, a teacher of over two decades standing.  

 

"Some parts heavy-going but the points raised in each chapter are personified in a wee story about different types of teachers. Of interest to teachers, students, philosophers, theologians, critical theorists, those who work in caring professions and all who contend with this modern obsession with confusing Quality with counting things."

 

If this sounds of interest, please follow the link pasted below:

 

 

 

Finally, don't miss the philosophy podcast featuring the one and only (but not lonely!) David Buchanan discussing "Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" (in regard to science and values) via this link.

 

 

November 2011 News

 

New! Thanks to the hard work of Andre Broersen, I am pleased to present the first part of the transcript of "The Metaphysics of Quality: A New Paradigm" featuring Robert Pirsig's discussion with Chip Baggett at the AHP's "Heart of the Matter: Values for a World Community" Conference held in 1993.  Please follow the link pasted below:

 

 

The transcripts of the three other tapes from the session will be published in the next couple of months.  Watch this space!  Finally, many thanks to Michael Brant at Conference Recording Services for his assistance in this project.  Michael was the recording engineer for this AHP session in 1993. 

 

Otherwise, look out for the Evolution, Time and Order paper that I wrote with Eric Priezkalns in 1999.  This is worth a look if only for Robert Pirsig's responses.  To read the paper, please click on the image below:

 

 

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August 2011 News

Firstly, please see the transcript of David Buchanan's Oxford lecture.  The original lecture was read out by David by just following the notes he'd prepared especially for the day.  Fortunately, earlier this year, David Harding kindly agreed to transcribe the lecture from its video recording.  After a little tweaking, I'm pleased to present the transcript here:

 

 

 

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Please note that the packaging for the MOQ Film Boxset containing the "On The Road with Robert Pirsig", "The MOQ at Oxford" and  the "On The Road with John Sutherland" DVDs has now been updated.  The set also now comes with the McWatt-Pirsig Letters DVD as a bonus disc. 

 

The Boxset is for sale at $48/£28 for all regions. 

(NTSC Versions for$48 including postage)

 

 

(PAL Versions for £28 including postage)

 

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Finally, after last month's tragic events, here's some good news from Norway: 

Re: LILA: An Enquiry into Morals_Critique and application to sustainable development

Dear Dr McWatt,

I am happy to be writing to you in the context of the published paper referred to in the Subject Line and attached as a PDF file herewith.

This is based on the book LILA: An Enquiry into Morals, written by Mr Robert Pirsig, which I received as a birthday gift from my brother – Dr Ramprakash Govindarajan – last year. 

Shall be glad if this could also be shared with Mr Pirsig. Please feel free to provide a link for Pirsig-fans on your website to this paper -

 http://ekorozwoj.pol.lublin.pl/no12/e.pdf

I am also copying this mail to the editor of the journal – Prof Artur Pawlowski.

 Best regards

G Venkatesh,

Postdoctoral researcher

Dept of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering,
SP Andresensv 5,
Valgrinda,
Trondheim,
Norway – 7491.

 

 

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May 2011 News

 

I often wonder if many of the people who buy the Pirsig PhD PDF, read much, let alone all of this document.  One person who certainly has is Dr Greg Alvord who wrote a whole commentary on it!  His document not only adds new light to the PhD but the MOQ in general.  To see the commentary please click on the above image.  

 

 

 

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