M&D, the Internet and Henry Holt

[andrew at cee.hw.ac.uk]

Foax,

So far I have resisted the urge to think much about M&D,let alone
speculate as to its contents, qualities etc. But the recent letter
from a Henry Holt insider had me thinking about the publicity campaign
tehy had planned and I put this together with some thoughts about the
book and got 5.

So, first the book. The previous novels follow a clear pattern in
their embracing the various technology of communication (communication
and the way media frame and shape the message being a perennial theme
in Pynchon's work). V and the early fiction is full of references to
mythology and (iconic) images.  Gravity's Rainbow is chock-a-block
with film. Vineland is saturated with TV. (I'll follow Pynchon in
discounting TCOL49). So, the obvious conclusion to draw wrt Mason &
Dixon is that it should centre on the Internet as the next logical
progression (and/or regression) in the chain of communication media.

Which leads me to Henry Holt. Apparently they plan a big publicity
campaign for M&D. Well, Mr Henry Holt insider, if you are still
listening here's a proposal for you. Why don't you sugget to Tom that
he buys or borrows an internet feed, gets online and joins in our
discussion for a week or two. That should give you all the publicity
material you need *without* prejudicing Tom's anonymity. If he wants
to he can just stick to the books and raise the shields as high as he
likes around his personal life. Alternatively he can tell us all about
himself.

So what do you say, Henry Holt? What about it, Tom? You wanna talk?


Andrew Dinn
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And though Earthliness forget you,
To the stilled Earth say:  I flow.
To the rushing water speak:  I am.