Drugs in Pynchon's fiction

[Paul Mackin]

On Tue, 26 Oct 1999, Terrance F. Flaherty wrote:
> 
> what about Red badge of Courage and other examples of
> writers without first hand experience of war. Or am screwed
> up here? In any event, I agree with your assessments here
> Paul. 

That you don't have to be there to write about it is certainly true as
this example and others well demonstrate. Here's another thing about P's
reconstruction of that rather unique period that is quite astounding I
think.  He adds touches that aren't the sort of thing likely to have
gotten written up anywhere. For example, that depiction of Roger's watch
being worn on the inside of the wrist World War II style. That was
totally authentic yet not the sort of detail historians tend to bother
with or even know about . Perhaps P's father or some older friend was on
hand to help out now and then with his researches.

I remember once we had a discussion on the p-list about why this
reverse watch-wearing practice seemed to have been so prevalent during
those war years, not just among the military but on the home front as
well. I know I wore my shock resistent waterproof ticktock that way but
never knew the reason  why. One of the answers to the riddle if I remember
correctly--think Alex might've said it--is the practice tends to hide any
reflection of the metal watch with might expose one's position to the
enemy.

			P.