Salinger, u.s.w.

[LARSSON at VAX1.Mankato.MSUS.EDU]

Noah Sturr inquires:
"Hello from a long time lurker.  I hate for this to be my first
post to this group.  I would rather have something interesting
to say or ask about the nature of Slothrop, the V2 bomp, curious
concepts of W.A.S.T.E. or why I really didn't like Vineland but
I don't (yet).  I am currently halfway through "Gravity's Rainbow"
(after starting for the fourth time, and yes it gets easier after
the end of the second chapter) and I have yet again run into
the nth word/phrase I don't know, but unlike all the others I am
not sure what this is.  What does "u.s.w." stand for?  It seems
like he is using it as "etc" but I would like a full expansion
of it if I could.  Any help?  Thanks.
 
N.S.
 
p.s.  I personally don't see how that silly rumor about Pynchon
being the one and the same as Sallinger (sp?) continues."


Yes, u.s.w. is like "etc.", from the German "und so weiter" (and so on).

One of the first direct suggestions *in print* that TRP was really JS that
I can recall occured in the now-defunct SOHO NEWS, which had a rather
funny article suggesting that Salinger had written himself into a corner and
"invented" TRP as a way out, only to be written into yet another corner
(paranoia, anyone?).

There followed a letter on MGM letterhead stationery (this shortly after
the big MGM auction that sold the ruby red slippers and other momentos)
from someone claiming to be Pynchon and saying that the article was interesting,
and that parts of it were true but not the most interesting ones.  (I've always
wondered about those other "uninteresting" parts.  Is it just *coincidence* that
the paper went under soon after?  I think not!)   ;)


Don Larsson, Mankato State U (MN)