Mud, chalk, cats, turds, kicking, slamming ... and this odd idea that the p-list is a living room. What is all that? At any rate, if suggesting that Pynchon might sit a rung below Faulkner strikes Millison as "slams against Pynchon" and "slinging mud" -- he makes my point re hagiography for me. And he sure does keep things lively!