Robert Maynard Pirsig was born in Minneapolis on September 6, 1928. After high school Pirsig decided to join the army and from the ages of 18 to 22 served the United States. Once discharged, he decided to study at the University of Minnesota. Here he obtained degrees in philosophy and journalism.(1) Once finished, Pirsig decided to travel to India. He talks about this trip in his book, stating it as a trip that expanded his experience but not his understanding.
When he returns, he marries his first wife, Nancy Ann James, an administrator, on May 10, 1954. (2) Working many jobs, including an instructor for English composition at Montana State College and instructor of rhetoric at the University of Illinois, he receives a break and then becomes a technical writer for a variety of technical institutions. Though the time period could not be found (puzzling?), I believe his transition from teacher to writer was when he suffered his “mental breakdown”. During this event he received electric shock treatment, which coincides with Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. He divorced on August, 1978 and remarried to Wendy L. Kimbell on December 28, 1978. His first child, Christopher, from the first marriage dies shortly after on November 17, 1979.(1)
He is now living in New Hampshire with his wife and 2 kids, Theodore and Nell. He tries to remain reclusive explaining
“The Buddhist monk has a precept against indulging in idle conversation, and I think the basis of that precept is what motivates me.” (Letter from Robert Pirsig to Boduar Skutuik, August 17th, 1997)
While residing here he released his newest book, Lila: An Inquiry into moral, released in 1991. He is currently working on an anthropological research piece, relating to metaphysics of quality to modern cultural problems. Mostly he is just enjoying relaxing after a hard life.
Bibliography
(1)Robert Maynard Pirsig: Discovering Authors Modules
http://galenet.galenet.com
(2)Motorcycle Maintennance: BMWCLUB
http://www.bmwclub.org/zen/index.html
http://www.bmwclub.org/zen/nyt.html
http://www.bmwclub.org/zen/sodv.html
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