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1989 Guinness Book of World Records, including mention of Zen and the Art of Motorycycle Maintenance holding record for “Most Rejections of a Best Seller,” p. 135. Details of publication by William Morrow and Bantam following license renewal for $500,000, quoting Robert Pirsig.

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A Child’s Geography of the World by V. M. Hillyer. Along with companion history book, favorite early possession of Robert Pirsig.

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A Child’s History of the World by V. M. Hillyer. Along with companion geography book, favorite early possession of Robert Pirsig.

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A Critical Analysis of Robert Pirsig’s Metaphysics of Quality, by Anthony M. McWatt, Ph.D. Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of the University of Liverpool for the degree of Doctor in Philosophy. 258 pages. Red cover. Final version.

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A Critical Analysis of Robert Pirsig’s Metaphysics of Quality, by Anthony M. McWatt, Ph.D. Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of the University of Liverpool for the degree of Doctor in Philosophy. 234 pages. Green cover. Draft. Inscribed by McWatt.

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A Critical Analysis of Robert Pirsig’s Metaphysics of Quality, by Anthony M. McWatt, Ph.D. Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of the University of Liverpool for the degree of Doctor in Philosophy. 243 pages. Purple cover. Draft.

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A few dozen foreign translations of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

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A History of Philosophy, by Frederick Copleston, S. J. Fifteen paperback volumes. Owned by Robert Pirsig and used for reference while writing Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Titles marked by Pirsig on top edge of pages. Volume 1 signed inside by Chris Pirsig. Robert Pirsig kept this set on living room bookshelf as reference throughout the last decades of Pirsig’s life.

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About 20 books and one student notebook belonging to Chris Pirsig at the time of his death in San Francisco while living at San Francisco Zen Center and studying at San Francisco State College. All signed either by Chris or later by Robert Pirsig as “From the library of Christopher Pirsig -- RMP.” Immediately after Chris died, Robert thought of giving books to friends as tokens, but this was not done. These 20 are the ones that remain from a larger collection.

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Albert Einstein, Essays in Science, signed by Robert Pirsig

Scope and Contents: An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, And Selections From A Treatise of Human Nature, by David Hume, published by The Open Court Publishing Company, LaSalle, Illinois. Paperback. Includes Hume’s Autobiography and a letter from Adam Smith. Owned by Robert Pirsig, who wrote 10 letters and symbols in the front page. Likely studied in his philosophy courses at the University of Minnesota, where he received a B.A. in 1950. Pirsig cited Hume in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Kept...

Content Description: Collection includes photographs, slides (photographs), transparencies, glass plate negatives, books, manuscripts, correspondence, DVDs, CDs, videotapes, audiotapes, digital media, posters, drawings and other artwork, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance drafts and related papers, Lila drafts and related papers, school papers, and ephemera.Collection also includes material by Wendy Kimball Pirsig (the author's second wife, also an author) and family papers, including of his...

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Literary Hub website, “Life Advice from the Late Robert M. Pirsig: A Little Wisdom from the Iconic Author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,” by Emily Temple. 4 pages of quotes from ZMM and Lila.

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Literary Hub website, “The Most Rejected Books of All Time,” by Emily Temple. 4 pages of a longer article. Includes Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as having been rejected 121 times before being accepted by William Morrow & Co. Quote by James Jim Landis.

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Subjects, Objects, Data and Values, written by Robert Pirsig, originally presented in Brussels at the Einstein Meets Magritte conference May 29-June 3, 1995, then published in 2000 by Kluwer Academic Publishers. Four copies of the typeset article. Correspondence about royalties on this article from Janklow & Nesbit.

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“Zen and the Art of Making Great Products -- Apple University’s Thoughts Between Classes,” sent to Wendy Pirsig after death of Robert Pirsig by Joel Podolny, Dean of Apple University. Accompanying note says a room was named for Pirsig. Apple Computer.

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Uneven Traffic Loads Call For Flexible Sewage Works, written by Robert Pirsig, Engineering News-Record. No byline, but collected by Pirsig among other writings.

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Page of St. Paul Pioneer Press with article “Ore Industry Research Asked,” by the Associated Press. Robert says he did not work for the AP (did write for United Press) and does not recognize any articles on the page. Nancy Pirsig was a copy editor at the Pioneer Press at about this time, but in 2014 he cannot remember why this page was saved..

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Minneapolis Star, “End of Whynot trip not dream deferred,” by Blair Charnley and Zeke Wigglesworth, former reporters for the paper, about their voyage Minneapolis-built trimaran sailboat ended in Florida after dream trip around the world was aborted. Story helped provide impetus or angle for Robert Pirsig’s article about sailing and depression (eventually published in Esquire as “Cruising Blues and their Cure.”)

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Doctor Schnabel, written by Robert Pirsig, copyright Paul S. Amidon and Associates, Minneapolis, an educational project of the Iowa Hospital Association. No byline but later identified by Robert Pirsig as author. Children’s story about a doctor working to save people during the Black Death, and modern hospitals today. 22 pages scanned and reprinted by Pirsig c. 2000. He said his own large nose made him identify with the beaked appearance of the masked doctor of the 1300s.

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In Praise of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Tim Crusius, in Western Speech Communication, autographed by Crusius. Robert Pirsig met Crusius at the Modern Language Convention in 1981.PA-OK

Scope and Contents: “Zen and the Art...:The Identity of the Erlkonig,” by Thomas J. Steele. 6 pages. Signed by Steele “With gratitude and admiration” on the original, and a note in ballpoint pen added by Pirsig on the copy. Note explains that article was published in Ariel Magazine, a Canadian literary magazine. Steele eventually writes Guidebook to ZMM with Ron Di Santo. In letter, PIrsig discusses his error in the book of saying that the word Phaedrus means wolf in Greek. He also writes that “the nucleus of...

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Article and photos about drug effects on spiders making webs. Saved in a folder labeled, “Lila Pix.”

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Article and photos about William James Sidis, including article in Yankee Magazine that led to Robert Pirsig writing about Sidis in his book Lila.

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Writings about yoga and Buddhism and Hinduism by friend of Robert Pirsig, David White, professor at Macalester College. Beverly White. About 300 typed pages.