Songs: Grateful Dead, “Truckin”; Steppenwolf, “Born to Be Wild”. Road trips gone awry: Thelma & Louise; Vanishing Point; Easy Rider. Hunter Thompson’s epic description of his drug-fueled drive to Vegas in Fear & Loathing.
Pirsig’s ZAMM influenced me in ways that no novel has ever done-before or since.
His depth of wisdom, ability to convey dark journey’s in and of the human mind and his relentless endeavour to unmask and understand what is meant by “ Quality” will always not be far from my consciousness.
Truckin mentioned above by the Grateful Dead is a classic about being on the road. But I think my favorite by the dead that makes me thing of big empty spaces and I enjoy listening on road trips is “Jack Straw”:
Leaving Texas
Fourth day of July
Sun so hot, clouds so low
The eagles filled the sky
Catch the Detroit Lightning out of Santa Fe
Great Northern out of Cheyenne
From sea to shining sea
Gotta get to Tulsa
First train we can ride
Got to settle one old score
One small point of pride
Robert Hunter from the Grateful Dead wrote perhaps the most “ Americana” lyrics of any band, telling stories of perpetual wanderers, outlaws, gamblers, etc mixed with Americana folk imagery that I love putting on while on the open road. Some other good ones along these lines: Wharf Rat, Friend of the Devil, Tennessee Jed, Loser, Brown Eyed Woman, He’s Gone.
And then the traditional songs they made into their own: Goin down the road feeling bad, me and my uncle, I know you rider, cold rain and snow.
After an awesome early life in Jamaica, then left, returned and left from newborn to teenager, the voice of late Harry Belafonte still give me the shivers… and now added to by the magic of Marley rasta reggae !
That was wonderful. I need to get the book. Be careful. You too are starting to sound a great deal alike... That is meant as a compliment as an Ancient Wisdom subscriber. Not to get religious... But one flesh one mind.
Songs: Grateful Dead, “Truckin”; Steppenwolf, “Born to Be Wild”. Road trips gone awry: Thelma & Louise; Vanishing Point; Easy Rider. Hunter Thompson’s epic description of his drug-fueled drive to Vegas in Fear & Loathing.
Vanishing Point! One of my all time favourites.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067927/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_vanishing%2520Point
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQd6-tTjHZg
Will check it out, thank you!
Youtube lies. This link is for the 1971 film.
https://archive.org/details/vanishing.-point.-1971.1080p.-blu-ray.x-264-yts.-am
Existentialism at its finest.
Absolutely. The alienated hero on an absurd quest in search for meaning and yet, we all felt the magnetic pull of his character.
I thought it was just rebellion. We're born that way.
Yes!
The youtube link is the 1997 remake, even though the description says 1971. Not that it matters much.
Actually, it does really matter. Here is a link that works.
https://archive.org/details/vanishing.-point.-1971.1080p.-blu-ray.x-264-yts.-am
I meant in the sense that in a couple billion years, maybe less, no one will be watching movies. That number may be smaller for us.
Good point.
Last Thing:
Pirsig’s ZAMM influenced me in ways that no novel has ever done-before or since.
His depth of wisdom, ability to convey dark journey’s in and of the human mind and his relentless endeavour to unmask and understand what is meant by “ Quality” will always not be far from my consciousness.
Yes, that was a surprise book for me, too… bought it on a whim and was hugely impressed by his depth of insights. A classic, IMO.
I read Pirsig around 50 years ago. It had the same influence on me.
Blue Highways, River Horse, Roads to Quoz - the first is better then the last but all are insightful on life in across American.
Another wrote privately with Blue Highways as a reco. Will check it out. Thanks!
Truckin mentioned above by the Grateful Dead is a classic about being on the road. But I think my favorite by the dead that makes me thing of big empty spaces and I enjoy listening on road trips is “Jack Straw”:
Leaving Texas
Fourth day of July
Sun so hot, clouds so low
The eagles filled the sky
Catch the Detroit Lightning out of Santa Fe
Great Northern out of Cheyenne
From sea to shining sea
Gotta get to Tulsa
First train we can ride
Got to settle one old score
One small point of pride
Robert Hunter from the Grateful Dead wrote perhaps the most “ Americana” lyrics of any band, telling stories of perpetual wanderers, outlaws, gamblers, etc mixed with Americana folk imagery that I love putting on while on the open road. Some other good ones along these lines: Wharf Rat, Friend of the Devil, Tennessee Jed, Loser, Brown Eyed Woman, He’s Gone.
And then the traditional songs they made into their own: Goin down the road feeling bad, me and my uncle, I know you rider, cold rain and snow.
Oh and should add Ramblin Man by Allman Brothers.
Your story triggered a memory. I have never felt so free as when i sold my car! Being car-free made me care free.
I was young and had just mived to Sacramento. The city was a perfect scale for biking everywhere (or taking the bus or light rail).
Beautiful. Thank you!
Steinbeck's "Travels with Charley."
What an extraordinary missive.
And a delicious treat of your early novel. It resonates in so many ways.
**Joel —-you should stick with this writing malarkey….You’ve definitely got potential!
😉
Big Respect and hope you enjoy or already enjoyed “the Void beyond Connectivity” this weekend .
After an awesome early life in Jamaica, then left, returned and left from newborn to teenager, the voice of late Harry Belafonte still give me the shivers… and now added to by the magic of Marley rasta reggae !
Jamaica Farewell…https://youtu.be/X-PTafd-ymQ?si=SK0LQ13ORLrzIk5G or
Dayo …https://youtu.be/H5dpBWlRANE?si=SstGH0YmCJl07Pnl
Buffalo Soldier…https://youtu.be/uMUQMSXLlHM?si=wyjUL8QkxgfcOOeK
H5dpBWlRANE?si=SstGH0YmCJl07Pnl
https://open.spotify.com/track/0JLQwnFGBbM69Hn9LlkoAu?si=NT6VitdzQICBTdBeYvpDAQ
That was wonderful. I need to get the book. Be careful. You too are starting to sound a great deal alike... That is meant as a compliment as an Ancient Wisdom subscriber. Not to get religious... But one flesh one mind.
Different but at the same.😁
A Gringo Leaving Mexico - 1962
the '54 Chevy had returned from the Ratland Body Shop
with grille missing,
like a crusted gap-toothed hag,
for there was not one to be found
in all the ratlands
so I tore a sheet in strips
and tied it hood to bumper
with shreds of knotted linen
the knots of course
became with time impossible to disentangle
and so:
I pulled into the station
for final
gasupradiatoroiltirepressurecheck,
attracting the usual crowd of curious ratlanders,
and
unable to untie my way to the engine
drew my big bonehandled Bowie knife
and the ratlanders scattered
lord, did they scatter,
fast as marbles from a well-placed shot
to respectful yessir distance
watching intently for whatever happened next
and it might as well have been
an automatic rifle
I was holding in my hand
I looked at the knife
and I looked at the ratlanders
looking at me
and then I did a little knife dance
right there in the rat dirt
in front of the faded red pumps,
waving the thing over my head
tossing it in the air and catching it
whooping and hollering like a maniac,
and finished by slicing through the knotted sheets
with one swipe of the blade
the ratlanders cheered and whistled
and after I'd inspected the oil and water
one of them brought me a bit of wire
and I wired down the hood
and drove on out of the ratlands