Pynchon (fwd)

[Paul Mackin]

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From: 	RedBug[SMTP:redbug at hyperarts.com]
Sent: 	Wednesday, February 26, 1997 9:49 AM
To: 	pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject: 	Pynchon (fwd)


A person sent the following me which y'all might find of interest.

RedBug

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 1997 17:14:31 +0100
From: Vorname Nachname <Vorname_Nachname at spiegel.de>
To: redbug at hyperarts.com
Subject: Pynchon

While visiting Nordhausen in the Harz mountains a few days ago, I 
happened to speak to the owner of a shoe repair shop who mentioned an 
american staying in Nordhausen (Then, of course, part of East Germany) 
in the late sixties, nosing around, asking questions and taking notes.

If Pynch visited that part of Germany in the late 60s, he would
definitely have left a paper trail. I crossed over at Wartha on
August 1, 1969, and it literally took hours to get processed.
There was no line or anything. The three in my car had the
place all to ourselves. But there's nothing more thorough than
a German Communist--crossing ts and dotting is, that is. We
had all our papers in order natch. They spent a good hour checking
the car--mirrors and everything.

There was no problem in getting permission. This was done
AT the border station. We had to reserve hotel rooms there and
also purchase a certain amount of funny money. I even used
my Diners Club credit card to pay for the whole kit and caboodle.
(By coincidence August 1 was the first day plastic could be used.
The arrangement was with Diners Suisse and I didn't receive
the bill for six months.) Didn't have occasion to use a travellers
check that I remember. Feel it would have been hard to cash one
that wasn't in your true (passport) name. How far would Pynch
go to remain anonymous? Carry a lot of cash like I always do
probably.

Didn't actually visit the city of Nordhausen (the book hadn't been written yet, heh, heh) otherwise I would suspect the guy your informant saw
was me,  but was in the near vicinity, staying in hotels at Erfurt and Weimar.

Don't remember seeing any other Americans of any description while in East Germany. Lots of Russians and Iraqis (all in uniform so you could tell what they were). The Pynch would have stuck out like a sore thumb.

Can your informant check out that border crossing at Wartha? Think
it was the only one in that part of Germany. Course there's no reason
for it to be open anymore but the records must exist someplace.

Could go on and babble awhile about how much fun it was travelling around the countyside there, stopping at beer stands and such. Like stepping back in time to the thirties. Nothing was remotely new. The Russians of course had bled the place dry and not only of the rockets.

				P.