M&D Saturday night in Delaware

[Paul Mackin]

On Thu, 3 Aug 2000, Thomas Eckhardt wrote:

> >> As a poor substitute, I brought up the subject of
> >> the novel with the "public historian."
> >>
> >> "I don't have time for (snort) historical novel. I had 3000
> >> pages of research. Besides I was told that Mason and Dixon
> >> were portrayed as gay. Who needs that."
> >
> >Youch. Besides the underlying homophobia/vilification of this statement from
> >an apparently educated person, where in the text is that *ever* suggested?
> 
> Cherrycoke states that Mason at some point, "out of metropolitan Control",
> is beginning to feel more than just comradeship for his partner. This is
> page 697. The audience comments on p. 698: "Oh, please Wicks spare us, far
> too romantick really." 


Melville knew audiences of his day would never totalize a bit of such
romancing. Pynchon knew audiences of his age would.

Or so I would gather.

			P.