The End of Zen in the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Robert Pirsig, author of the eloquent and passionate Zen in the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, died yesterday at 88.  His book inspired and sustained me through the last two years of writing my dissertation. His notion of the power of Quality, of characteristic goodness as opposed to the solely utilitarian, supported me (and through me, many of my patients) in finding the savor in life. He was schizophrenic and off-and-on psychotic, but he achieved something great and unique in this book. His redemption at its end--his salvation--still brings sobs from me. Even if he was not able to sustain being free of the grief and tangle of psychosis, he achieved it long enough to produce this book. Honi soit qui mal y pense. May his struggling soul rest in peace.