Pynchon genius

[Bruce Appelbaum]

     Whether TRP is a genius or not (the MacArthur grant seems to give 
     credence to the positive), there is no reason to worship him.  The 
     fact that he keeps to himself probably indicates that he doesn't want 
     to be worshipped anyway!
     
     Yes, he's tremendously clever at painting images with words, with 
     associations and referential writing.  This is all part of why I enjoy 
     (and struggle with) his work.  It took me 20 years to make it through 
     GR, and I'm in the middle of another attempt.  Actually it wasn't 
     until I joined the p-list that I was able to make it all the way 
     through in a single reading.  It will probably take me a few years to 
     get through M&D.  But every attempt shows me something new that I 
     missed before and this makes the struggle worth it to me.  His 
     writings are like onions, layer upon layer upon layer.  
     
     As to the "great writer" paradigm, TRP doesn't present the persona of 
     a Hemingway, a Fitzgerald, a Mailer, a Rushdie.  He doesn't present 
     himself at all!  A former college "friend" who was very active on this 
     list not too long ago, along with his assorted girlfriends, offspring 
     and ex-significant others, promised to give us the low-down on TRP, 
     but who knows how accurate this presentation was?  Does it matter?
     
     I don't think I want to be TRP's friend.  I'm not sure I would even 
     want to meet him.  I think I might be disappointed.  I'm certainly not 
     his footsoldier, nor do I think that most people on the p-list would 
     consider themselves in that role.  And I certainly don't worship him.
     
     I think we're all here because we have a common interest in his 
     writings.  Some of us have a morbid curiousity about his private life. 
     There are no unseen forces.  While there seem to be more 
     "personalities" on this list than on most, the dynamic of this list is 
     not too different from some of the other lists that I subscribe to.  
     
     I for one am not guided by "forces unseen" (as long as you ignore my 
     earlier post today concerning placing aluminum foil in my hat to block 
     out radio signals from outer space).  I enjoy TRP's work, I enjoy and 
     learn from the comments and notes posted here.  I enjoy the sense of 
     <virtual> community.
     
     As to "the world beating a path to his door," well, most people don't 
     even know where that door is (although if you examine the photo from 
     the UK newspaper that Jester had posted on his website for a while, 
     you can pin it down to a single city block).  And if you managed to 
     locate the door, don't expect the doorman to let you through.
     
     
     


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Pynchon genius
Author:  Paul Mackin <mackin at allware.com> at Internet
Date:    8/28/1997 11:44 AM


Does anyone have trouble besides me with the genius of 
Pynchon concept? Is Pynchon merely text, or textuality 
(eeek), that happens to resonate for us, or is there a 
great god-given writer out there name of Thomas Pynchon 
who is so fantastically clever with words and ideas
that the world must beat a path to his door, so to speak. 
I know I am forever citing the Pynchon genius at this
or at that, then hating myself for it an instant later. 
But what can you do when you see something you especially 
like? It's natural to think there's something behind it, 
besides the material conditions of whatever. But how well 
does our P fit the great writer syndrome of the past? 
Normal Mailer was a great writer to no insignificant 
extent through forever proclaiming the fact to the world. 
He challeged all others to better him either at the 
keyboard or the fight ring. Is other words, it was a
PR job, a military campaign. But Pynchon just maintains 
silence. Has Pynchon ever done anything to stake out a 
genius slot on the writing scene, besides just turning 
out good books? Does he need to, does anyone think? Is 
the p-list an adequate substitute? Are we his foot 
soldiers, secretly guided to action by forces unseen? 
Yep, it's gotta be this last.
     
Don't expect to get any answers but can't help 
wondering . . .
     
                        P.