Dear friends and colleagues, especially Diana and Dan, and especially all the
newcomers,
Diana and Dan, I can't believe that you have left us. I don't know if you two
have really unsubscribed, but I took the liberty of including you as "CC:"
recipients because I want you to think about what I have to say.
Perhaps I more than anyone have sung the praises of the LS/MD/MF archives, and
have often encouraged people to read them. Yesterday, I came across some Usenet
posts of Diana from BEFORE the birth of the Lila Squad. From Diana's acorn of an
idea has grown something truly great and beautiful. The flurry of excellent
recent posts from members old and new is evidence that the tree is still alive
and still growing.
Most of the recent posts are on the subject of economics/politics. Diana and Dan
apparently left as a result of an argument on publication rights. IMHO, the two
arguments are connected - they are both about how to balance STATIC with
DYNAMIC.
In economics, the free market works by encouraging "free enterprise" to realize
a vast array of different visions, but at the same time governments impose rules
to channel the creative energy. Without those rules, dynamic systems can often
self-destruct. Economists know this. Scientists know it too - it is called
"catastrophe theory".
The same goes for a discussion mailing list. Lists and newgroups have a tendency
to come and go, but the "MoQ organization" hase grown into something quite
remarkable. A lot of credit for this goes to Diana, who imposed strict order in
"nursing" the Lila Squad into being. Inevitably, this caused dissention and
rebellion - yes, me too - I have been a rebel too in my time, and had my own
arguments with Diana. But we have to accept that the MoQ is an organization of
rules. It may have started with the rules imposed by Diana, but we have also
evolved our own internal rules of behaviour. We also have to bow to certain
external rules (e.g. legal and copyright issues), unless we purposely intend to
REBEL against these rules. This is the issue that caused trouble for Dan's
project "Lila's Child".
TO DAN: I certainly recognise the hard work you put into the project, and I
believe that you work has value. I think that we still have to find the best way
to realize that value.
IMO, LC in its current form lacks creativity! Dan, I know you can write. I've
seen many of your essays, and was impressed by "Breakfast with Denny" that you
posted a while back in the MF list. Dan, you joined the Lila Squad soon after I
did. We both entered quite a while AFTER the discussion and arguments depicted
in Lila's Child, and neither of us appear. IMO, what Lila's Child lacks is
visible input from Dan Glover! I don't know if you can do it, but don't think
that I am against the idea of you publishing. On the contrary, I am cheering you
all the way. What I suggested about publishing an essay collection was not
necessarily intended as an alternative. There is no reason why the MoQ shouldn't
produce 2 or even 10 printed works.
Its all about how to realize such a goal. Regarding the essay collection idea, I
was extremely flattered to receive Diana's nomination as coordinator/editor, but
I'm not sure I'm up to the task:
Diana says the coordinator needs:
>2. Editorial skills, ie the ability to pull the essays
>together with a common theme, plus the ability to write and
>help others write coherent essays.
I don't consider myself a good writer, though I am a good critic. We already
have several essays on the MoQ website, and it would be a good idea to
collectively discuss the interesting ones and encourage the authors to
improve/update/restructure to make them as good as possible. I can't do this on
my own, and don't want to.
>3. Thorough knowledge of ZMM and LILA.
We are all partly qualified. I think we need some feedback from the author of
the books. I have never corresponded with RMP, but I know Diana has. Would he be
interested in the project? His public support (possibly including writing a
preface) would be almost essential.
>4. A degree (preferably phd) in philosophy . . .
I am not a "qualified" philospher like Elephant. I think that Diana is right
that a book of this type needs an editor with impeccable academic credentials as
a philosopher. Maybe he doesn't have to do all the work, but could share the
load with one or more other editors.
Do we have any other qualified philosophers among us who would be interested?
>1. Has the will to make it happen.
First on Diana's list, I left it till last. Here is that *will* word again (part
of this month's topic in the MF list). I don't think that this project should
rest on the egotistical will of the editor. As soon as people talk about
publishing and copyrights, EGO always rears its ugly head. I see an essay
collection as a product of the COLLECTIVE WILL of the LS/MoQ, i.e. the product
of an evelutionary process. We have to somehow evolve towards the target, but do
it without being goal oriented. Pirsig admits that the title of ZAMM was
influenced by the title "Zen and the Art of Archery", something I only skimmed
as an on-line extract, and I can't even remember the name of the author. What I
did glean was the idea that the archer must avoid the goal-centered idea that
the whole purpose is for him to put the arrow in the bullseye; the ideal is for
the archer to selflessly and serenely release the arrow, with a certainty and
confidence that the arrow would fly a "true" path.
In conclusion, if we are headed towards a book of essays, let's not start by
setting this as a target, but let's keep the discussions and the website essays
going, and allow them to evolve into whatever is best. In one of my egotistical
moods, I thought about how to start editing, and even about a title - "The Lotus
Garden" in recognition of the fact that the essays could be considered the fruit
of the trees that grew from the seeds Robert Pirsig planted with "Zen and the
Art ..." and Lila. I mention this not to propose it as a title, but to remind us
that we have to tend the garden and allow it to grow some more.
Otherwise, we might just find ourselves shooting arrows at each other.
Jonathan
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