Editing Jonathan Livingston Seagull (section)

== Part Four in 2014's re-print, ''Jonathan Livingston Seagull: The Complete Edition'' ==
In 2013, Richard Bach took up a non-published fourth part of the book, which he had written contemporaneously with the original. He edited and polished it and then sent the result to a publisher. Bach reported that he was inspired to finish the fourth part of the novella by a [[near-death experience]] which had occurred in relation to a nearly fatal plane crash in August 2012.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/author-richard-bach-recovering-from-plane-crash-returns-to-inspirational-tale/|title=Author Richard Bach, recovering from plane crash, returns to inspirational tale|last=Sullivan|first=Jennifer|date=17 January 2013|newspaper=[[Seattle Times]]|access-date=20 June 2019}}</ref> In February 2014, the 138-page Bach work ''[[Illusions II: The Adventures of a Reluctant Student]]'' was published as a booklet by [[Kindle Direct Publishing]]. ''Illusions II'' also contains allusions to and insights regarding the same near-death experience. In October 2014, ''Jonathan Livingston Seagull: The Complete Edition,'' was published, and this edition includes Part Four of the story.

Part Four focuses on the period several hundred years after Jonathan and his students have left the Flock, and their teachings become [[Veneration|venerated]] rather than practised. The birds spend all their time extolling the virtues of Jonathan and his students and spend no time flying for flying's sake. The seagulls practice strange rituals and use demonstrations of their respect for Jonathan and his students as status symbols. Eventually, some birds reject the ceremony and rituals and just start flying. A bird, named Anthony Gull, questions the value of living since "life is pointless and since pointless is by definition meaningless then the only proper act is to [[suicide|dive into the ocean and drown]]. Better not to exist at all than to exist like a seaweed, without meaning or joy [...] He had to die sooner or later anyway, and he saw no reason to prolong the painful boredom of living." As Anthony makes a dive-bomb to the sea, at a speed and from an altitude which would kill him, a white blur flashes alongside him. Anthony catches up to the blur, which turns out to be a seagull, and asks what the bird was doing.