so absentee it's hard to know

[Jeoffrey Bull]

Re: Michael Zeitlin's query concerning rumour Pynchon dead

I, of course, don't know--but during a recent round of net surfing I
came across the mention that John Laroquette, an avid Pynchonian,
wrote the author into one of last season's episodes of "The John
Laroquette Show."  Something about a Pynchon sighting in the bus
depot; Pynchon is said to have suggested to Laroquette that he, Tom,
be described (or is it depicted--I can't recall) as wearing a 13th
Floor Elevators t-shirt.  This sounds likely enough, and may be an
adequate sign of T.P.'s continuing presence.

I hope I'm remembering what I saw accurately, and that I haven't
muddled up an already vague bit of apocrypha or anything!  Scholars
concerned with such matters as Pynchon's TV appearances might want to
read entries in "alt.book.reviews" (?) and "rec.arts.books" that deal
with this subject and related topics.