May's mask

[Timothy C. May]

Paul Delany writes:

> When you say "you may have seen me," do you mean "you may have seen
> that issue of *Wired* (I did), or "the person behind the mask may
> have been me (i.e. May)"????

It was me (or is it "It was I"? Around all you lit-crit types I get so
self-conscious!). The barcodes on the mask reveal the true secrets.

Interestingly, the article for "Wired" was written by Steven Levy
("Hackers," in 1984, "Artificial Life," a couple of years ago, and
columnist for several magazines). He visited my in Aptos, and even
asked if it was true that Pynchon used to live in the area--an old
rumor. (He saw my collection of Pynchon commentaries--the usual
suspects--and thus was intrigued. He was a lit major many years ago,
before starting to write almost exclusively about computers, and
remains a Pynchon fan.)

About the rumor that Pynchon used to live around here (the Santa
Cruz-Aptos-Watsonville area)...no confirmation, except a column some
years back, circa 1986, by Bruce Bratton, claiming he'd met a few
times with TP when he lived for a while in this area. And certainly
some scenes in "Vineland," especially the monastery in the hills, were
very reminiscent of this area. (But then he could've gotten most of
the local color out his trusty "Baedeker's California.")

I'm amazed that someone of his notoriety can remain out of sight as he
does. Just amazed. I've been waiting 20 years for him to make an
appearance, to talk to us, to complete his celebration of pop culture
by appearing on Oprah Winfrey. Or maybe a live television broadcast by
Gerald Rivera: "The Secrets of Thomas Pynchon Revealed."

But it won't happen.

I wonder whether TP is started to use computers, and, if so, whether
he's in the DOS camp or the Macintosh camp. Or still scribbling scenes
on yellow legal pads.


--Tim May




-- 
..........................................................................
Timothy C. May         | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,  
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W.A.S.T.E.: Aptos, CA  | black markets, collapse of governments.
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