V. (Ch 3) Impersonations and Dreams

[Paul Mackin]

Lorentzen / Nicklaus wrote:

>   wait a moment! jbor's observation that spiritual themes play a less important
>   role in pynchon's first two books than they do in the later ones is certainly
>   a right one. interesting in this context is the obvious switch to chinese
>   semantics in both, vineland and m&d, where gr stays with kabbalah (- present
>   in m&d too), astral traveling & tarot. perhaps trp has turned into an american
>   daoist?! that he, in any case, believes in the value and fruitfulness of
>   regular spiritual work becomes, imo, obvious in his intro to jim dodge's
>   "stone junction" from 1997 [!]: " ... stone junctions's allegiance, however,
>   is to the other kind of magic, the real stuff---long-practiced, all-out,
>   contrary-to-fact, capital m magic, not as adventitious spectacle, but as
>   pursued enterprise, in this very world we're stuck within, continuing to give
>   off readings---analog indications---of being abroad and at work, somewhere out
>   in it (xiii)". you may disagree, but i cannot recognize the most tiny bit of
>   irony in this very statement ...
>
>
>
>   well, sloterdijk once defined gnosticism as "the original story of
>   dissidence". in this sense the religious anarchist thomas pynchon was, is and
>   will always be a gnostic to me.
>
> Agree with Kai that the words quoted from the introduction to STONE JUNCTION are
> not ironically intended.   Rather, to me the sense is fanciful.  Like
> "resurrection of the body" appearing elswhere in  p-text. Not approaching  in any
> way a religious hope--in that sense in which the  "resurrection of the body" is an
> article of faith for Christians.  More like a "what if." Or an "if only." But,
> hey, I'll freely admit I'm pretty terrible in the realm of spirituality. Monistic
> materialism is too thoroughly ingrained. Perhaps I will have a deathbed conversion
> but right now its hard to imagine.
>

                        P.

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