(auto)biography

[Paul Mackin]

On Fri, 12 Jan 1996, Juan Cires Martinez wrote:

> >From: RR.TFCNY at mail.fdncenter.org (RICHARD ROMEO)
> >
> > Anyone think he'll write an autobiography before he leaves this humble 
> > planet of ours or let someone into his inner sanctum and write a 
> > definitive bio (or would it be?).  
> 
> I can't imagine anything more un-Pynchonesque.  It would be so out of
> sync with his work...
> 


I can visualize a number of reasons he wouldn't do an autobiography.

	Because of personal modesty--doesn't think his bio is all
	that important.

	Any form of self-promotion is tacky.

	It might give us fans a clue as to where he lives.

	He'd rather spend his time on fiction.

But _why_ exactly would it be "out of sync with his work?" Is it because it 
would be a betrayal of his honorary preterite status? There wouldn't
seem to be the problem of thereby taking the edge off his writing. An auto-
biography generally gets written _after_ one's _main_ career is over.  
Hanging onto his ties to Benny Profane and Tyrone Slothrop would be a matter
of pure honor, not mere expediancy.

Something else I've wondered. Is P. a true recluse, avoiding
society in general? Or is it just a matter of staying out of the
limelight, away from the literary scene and the book promotion circuits?
Could he lead a perfectly normal social life in some nice neighborhood
somewhere, chatting over the back fence with folks who never heard of
_Gravity's Rainbow_, etc.? Of course, since he doesn't give interviews,
there is no way of knowing.

				P.