Pynchon and Beats

[BenProfane at aol.com]

Just a quick note on Burrough's "ambivilence" to drugs. I would hardly say
that he was ambivilent or only "willing" to try them. He in fact sought them.
He believed that the more drugs he did, the longer he would live. See the
Yage Letters for his trip to find and use the most powerful halucinigenic in
the world and the supposed healing effect it would have on him.

As for writing style, I would have to agree with you (amy) that he does not
resemble Kerouac or Ginsberg. However, Kerouac's search for what it means to
be an American or what the American dream is, is directly related Pynchon's
novels. While Pynchon's direction is more conspiracy/big brother related, his
characters are just as lost and are just as much concerned with loss of the
American dream as Kerouac's. Additionally, Pynchon's understanding/interest
in American subculture is, to me, the next natural progression from the Beat
movement. As drugs and music were a common denominator for the Beat movement,
pop culture and science are now Pynchon's common demoninator. What's
interesting about TP's discourse is that he takes into account the reminents
of the drugs and music centerpiece-- as does American society-- thus the
nomenclature, "post-beat."

Thanks for listening to my 2 cents worth.
                                                   Chuck.