Title Gossip (V.)

[Peter J. Petto]

Here's something I saw in _Now All We Need Is A Title_ by Andre
Bernard, that I thought would interest readers here:
 
     Pynchon's first novel, which was submitted to a
     publisher as _Low Lands_, came to have as many
     working titles as the author has been attributed
     identities. The young editor at Lippincott,
     Corlies Smith, who acquired _Low Lands_ suggested
     calling it _The Quest of Herbert Stencil_ or _The
     Yo-Yo World of Benny Profane_, or _World on a
     String_, which latter title Pynchon more or less
     liked, admitting that he himself was terrible
     with book titles. Pynchon then countered with his
     own new idea: _Blood's a Rover_, after a line from
     a poem by A.E. Housman. On being told that that
     phrase conjured up images of Mickey Spillane or
     even Sabatini, Pynchon tried _Down Paradise
     Street_, _Of a Fond Ghoul_, _Footsteps of the
     Gone_, _Dream Tonight of Peacock Tails_, and _The
     Republican Party is a Machine_ (all of these
     titles have a source both in the book _V._ and in
     the public domain -- the reader can try to find
     them). The game spun out of control, and a return
     to the simple _V._, solved the dilemma.
 
This book is full of short anectdotes like this one -- and is a
pleasant (quick!!) read -- you may want to check it out.
 
Bernard has another book, _Rotten Rejections_, which I'm waiting
to get hoping it will be a similarly enjoyable diversion.


-- 

Peter Petto          |       ppetto at wariat.org
Bay Village, Ohio    |  PGP public key available (finger)