Pynchon & Pop Music

[Bonnie Surfus (ENG)]

When Pat Benatar's album came out--Gravity's Rainbow, that is--I was 
shocked and kind of dumbfounded.  At the time, I didn't think much about 
it, but now I wonder, were there any copyright battles over the title.  
Knowing how touchy TRP is about copyrights, it would seem likely.  

I also wondered--and this is horrible, especially since long ago I'd 
chastised Chris Stoltz (was it him?) for suggesting that Kurt Cobain 
couldn't have read GR cause it was beyond his mental abilities to do 
so--was the title an expression of Benatar's admiration for the novel, or 
mere chance?  

I expected to hear all kinds of talk over the matter, but it just 
didn't interest anyone, I guess.  Maybe something we'd rather just keep 
silent.

By the way, there was a little column on the Wanda Tinasky "literary 
mystery of the 20th Century (?)" in our St. Petersburg Times.  I was 
impressed upon hearing about it--I still haven't seen it.

bonnie