Mike Davis & Thomas Pynchon: Journalist vs. Artist

[Richard Romeo]

If anyone has read the recent article about Mike Davis in the current 
Salon, I'd like to throw this out to the group:
Davis is criticized for making up his mind before engaging in his 
exhaustive research.  If he comes across an item that doesn't fit with 
his scheme of things, well, that doesn't get included.  One critic has 
called him in some certain words:  "a priest without a central belief 
system."  Now, in journalism, avoiding certain facts can be dangerous. 
But when writing novels, well, that is pretty much encouraged.  Mr. P 
could be labeled "a priest without a central belief system."
I guess my point is Pynchon seems to have the knack for including many 
sides of an issue.  I wonder how much he has his mind made up in the 
course of writing and if any, how his view of things is transformed 
through the research process. Would you agree there are certain things 
he takes for granted, despite the evidence. (let's just hope he doesn't 
write a sympathetic view of Joey Gallo) 
I understand this is a question only he could answer but what the hay.
The davis piece is also interesting in that he is criticized by the 
people one would think he'd get sympathy from--One Latino calls his view 
of them condescending and that Davis' gloom and doom is just the white 
man's skittishness about seeing his hegemony dismantled (and rightly 
so). I did find City of Quartz a bit overwrought...like Poe

Rich Romeo

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