RV: PN 42-43

[Heikki Raudaskoski]

On Mon, 19 Jun 2000, Saurio wrote:
> Where and How can I get these Pynchon Notes?


That's right, you can get them from Duffy Duyfhuizen (who also 
contributes to the new issue) via the URL given by Doug.

But it *may* take a bit longer than usual to receive any _PN_ 
issue now. 

Because Duffy, and John, and the special editor Luc Herman are 
all having an adventure in Germany. One called "Into the Zone". 
As far as I  know, they have left Nordhausen for Berlin this 
morning; in Berlin they have probably seen a documentary on the 
Rocket already; having visited Dora, the Mittelwerke, and the 
Brocken yesterday... (for the rest of the program, check the 
"Announcements" section at the very _Notes_ site.) And as far 
as I know, there are numerous other _PN 42-43_ contributors on 
the trek too: *at least* the unofficial Tour Leader Bruno Arich, 
Steve Weisenburger, Inger Dalsgaard, Zoska Kolbuszewska, and 
Hanjo Berressem... Plus other great people.

Until very recently, yours truly was going to be there too.  
Actually, he dreamed of doing that for months.

But: at some point last winter I was forced to participate in 
a year-long vocational training course in "Internet Application
Development". Don't ask what that is. (The switch seemed the only 
way to be able to stay in Oulu and take care of my daughter at 
least twice a week in the future too; she lives with her mother 
15 minutes from my place. And at the local Humanist Department 
the future couldn't possibly look bleaker.) An internship period 
of six months at an IT company is a required part of the training 
course. So, try guessing when Nokia and the rest of the host 
firms were to interview us for internships... Right: ALL the 
interviews have taken/will take place this very week, making it 
the one week this year when it is categorically impossible for 
me to leave Oulu. 

So now They are going to make a "Content Producer" out of me. 
Don't ask what that is. (Does it refer to those lisible mules,
ridiculed by Barthes et al, who think they can send a "Content" 
via a Jakobsonian "Communication Channel" to a "Receiver"?) 
All I know for the time being is that it will be much harder 
for me to be a "process participant" any longer -- which is 
what I've tried carrying out in Lit Crit, as in my contribution 
to the very _PN_ issue (which hasn't reached me as yet). 

As a consequence, yours truly and wearily is left cracking 
poor jokes, now unintentionally (remember "Hungary in the 
socialist camp"), now intentionally worn like that age-old,
Blurry one about Pro/Bal/Zac...


Heikki