>===== Original Message From moq_discuss@moq.org =====
>
Rick,
I guess I am getting hung up on books that are descriptive of a culture and
books that "bear" the culture.
PIRSIG: A culture-bearing book, like a mule, bears the culture on its back. No
one should sit down to write one deliberately. Culture-bearing books occur
almost accidentally, like a sudden change in the stock market. There are books
of high quality that are an part of the culture, but that is not the same.
They are a part of it. They aren’t carrying it anywhere
ERIN: I think Pirsig is saying that culture-bearing books are a catalyst to
that culture not just a description of that culture. So I can write a book
that perfectly captures a culture but doesn't carry it anywhere. Although I
may read many books about my culture I feel Pirsig is limiting culture-bearing
books to a particular type of these books. The problem I think that I have
with this idea is that I also read many books that seem to be out of my
culture but still acted as a catalyst so I still am not sure what this
"bearing" is about.
I guess I always considered the best stories as ones that people relate to
universally. I don't know ...
Hey Erin,
>Naturally, a culture-bearing book will be relative to a specific culture.
>What 'bears' one culture will not another... So it's probably better to
>start off by thinking of great works of literature, and then see if they
>bear some culture or another....
>
>So how about...
>The Great Gatsby
>On the Road
>The Autobiography Malcolm X
>Walden
>
>I'll bet there a million of 'em....
>
>rick
>
>
>
>
MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
Mail Archive - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
MD Queries - horse@darkstar.uk.net
To unsubscribe from moq_discuss follow the instructions at:
http://www.moq.org/md/subscribe.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat Aug 17 2002 - 16:01:47 BST