[MD] I'm The Second Greatest!

[MarshaV]

Hi Ant, 


On May 16, 2012, at 9:57 AM, Ant McWatt <antmcwatt at hotmail.co.uk> wrote:

> Marsha V stated May 15th:
> 
> Greetings, 
> 
> I like the little I've read of Alfred North Whitehead and his process philosophy, and hope to learn more; 
> 
> 
> Ant McWatt comments:
> 
> Marsha, don't forget there's a whole MA thesis available at: robertpirsig.org/SneddonThesis.htm which relates Whitehead's "Metaphysics of Process" with the MOQ.  
> 
> Part 2 of Dr Sneddon's thesis (at http://robertpirsig.org/SneddonPartTwo.htm) tries to synthesise the two philosophies. 

I've only read an introductory book 'Process-Relational Philosophy: An Introduction to Alfred North Whitehead' by Robert Mesle.  I'm quite sure I haven't read Dr. Sneddon's thesis yet, so thanks for the reminder.  -  I've just put a pdf version on my iPad to read.

> 
> Marsha V continued May 15th:
> 
> ...but at the moment my second favorite philosopher is a woman who speaks with a _woman's voice_, and that would be Elizabeth Bishop.  She graduated from Vassar and was considered an intellectual, was concerned with maps and patterns("constant readjustment" as a kind of poetics), and wrote of and from experience.  To consider Bishop's contibution is to consider what the 'code of art' adds to the MoQ.  
> 
> I would like to present the reading of Elizabeth Bishop's poem 'The 
> Riverman' as a tribute to Mr. Pirsig and his journey down the Hudson 
> River.
> 
> This is a very long YouTube video, so I suggest to get to the specific 
> poem, you fast-forward to position 01:11:58 to hear this wonderful 
> reading, of this wonderful poem.  You will not be disappointed.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv0FE7YwTQg 
> 
> 
> Ant McWatt comments:
> 
> Sorry Marsha, you know that you can't have poets in the Academy so I can't accept Elizabeth Bishop as a second favourite philosopher.  Code of Art or no Code of Art!  Seriously, those poems of Bishop's on that YouTube tribute film (in addition to "The Riverman" that you referenced) all make for good background listening (especially on a sunny afternoon with a light breeze).   They have the same power as the longer descriptive passages (especially of the Mid-West scenery) found in ZMM.


Oh, did you mean academic philosopher?  ;-)    

And yes, I could imagine Ms. Bishop would have been inspired by the experience of those red-winged blackbirds and all the other wonderful landscape descriptions.  Can't remember if 'The Map' was read on the video, but that is another wonderful poem.  She, of course, is on the side of the map-maker.
 
 
Marsha