Pynchon interviewed in Playboy Japan re 9-11

[Paul Mackin]

If Pynchon said anything remotely like what's below then we would have to
conclude that Altzheimers has set in. Don't laugh. It's possible.

            P.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Millison" <millison at online-journalist.com>
To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2001 11:06 AM
Subject: News: Pynchon interviewed in Playboy Japan re 9-11


> The current edition of Playboy Japan contains an article on 9-11 that
> includes an interview with Thomas Pynchon.
>
> I asked a Japanese friend of mine, Naoki Yamamoto,  to get a copy of the
> magazine, which I will send along to John Krafft for his collection of
> Pynchon-related materials.  Professor Krafft has already received a copy
of
> this translation; he's the person who alerted me to to the existence of
the
> Playboy Japan interview in the first place.
>
> Naoki offers this translation of Pynchon's remarks, which I pass along
> below, with Naoki's introductory remarks.  Naoki has promised to send
along
> a more complete translation; I will post it to Pynchon-L when he does.
>
> -Doug
>
>
> To: JohnKrafft
> From: Doug Millison <millison at online-journalist.com>
> Subject: translation Fwd: Pynchon in Playboy Japan
> Cc:
> Bcc:
> X-Attachments:
>
> John,
>
> Here's a translation of the Pynchon interview.
>
> Later,
>
> -Doug
>
> >Delivered-To: millison at barney.sfrn.dnai.com
> >Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2001 13:18:39 +0900
> >From: Naoki Yamamoto <naoki at matatabi.com>
> >To: millison at online-journalist.com
> >Subject: Pynchon in Playboy Japan
> >User-Agent: Wanderlust/2.6.1 (Upside Down) SEMI/1.14.3
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> > =?ISO-2022-JP?B?GyRCJU5DKxsoQiI=?=)
> >Status:  U
> >
> >
> >Hi, Doug.
> >
> >I just went to a local bookstore and got the Playboy with the Pynchon
> >interview. I am reading it at a Cafe right now. If your friend want
> >this issue, I can send it to you.
> >
> >His interview is only a page long in a feature article titled " The
> >Day After: America's suffering". Some parts of that feature seem to
> >come directly from the U.S. edition and the rest are written by a
> >Japanese writer(?). The Pynchon piece is done by the Japanese
> >writer. There is no photo although every other interview in the
> >feature has a head-shot -- John Updike, Jared Diamond, Benjamin
> >R. Barber and Thomas Friedman (New York Times).
> >
> >I am going to try my best to translate quickly what Pynchon said in
> >the article while I sip tea here. I find the interview is somehow
> >fragmented --talking about many things. It is not well organised. I
> >suspect that it was just a chat or phone conversation turned into an
> >article.
> >
> >This is not a full word-by-word translation. I summarized the article.
> >
> >Best,
> >
> >Naoki
> >
> >----
> >Title Copy:  Most news is propaganda: There might be no Bin-Laden ever.
> >
> >New Yorkers constantly talk about the WTC and visiting the attack
> >site. Some went to see the site and the others have not seen the site
> >yet. It is the trendy topic of the time. But, I feel that it will take
> >some time before I want to visit the site.
> >
> >Since the attacks, I stopped taking subway. I'm afraid of chemical
> >weapon. I am not surprised if chemical weapons are used against us
> >anytime soon.
> >
> >CNN is the media that report on the terrorism all the time. Many
> >Americans watch CNN and they all have the same information. But, it is
> >the real danger that people believe the news on CNN is the news.
> >
> >The newscasters on the TV just read the tele-prompter in order to fill
> >air time. They seem affectless and I don't like it. When I listen them
> >carefully, there is not much news. Most are propaganda.
> >
> >The attacks have changed the New York Times. I used to wake up one
> >hour early to read that paper, but now it is not worth reading sitting
> >down. There is little useful news in the Times. Most are propaganda.
> >
> >The Times was the most reliable media, but no more. Today, the Guardian
> >of England is the most reliable newspaper. People read it on the
> >Internet. I think the information from White house also has a lot of
> >propaganda.
> >
> >The problem is the average citizen cannot distinguish the real news
> >from the propaganda. You don't believe it, but there is quite reliable
> >news from Israel.
> >
> >In the time of war, controlling the information is important and those
> >respected papers cannot be trusted.
> >
> >The founder of Daily Mail (published 100 years ago in London) once
> >said "News is something somebody wants to suppress.  Everything else
> >is propaganda."
> >
> >Those information that can be obtained easily is most likely
> >to be propaganda even when they come from White house.
> >
> >America always looks for an enemy. The country always needs it. It has
> >made Bin Laden the real brain behind the attacks. Because it is easy
> >and it makes us feel good. But I think there is somebody else and
> >Laden is just a puppet.
> >
> >You may think I am a paranoia. But it is not only me to think like
> >that. NSA is supposed to watch Laden, but I think it was not he alone
> >responsible for the attacks. I have an impression that Laden is just a
> >front-man.
> >
> >I wonder if those photos of Bin Laden on TV and newspapers are the
> >real him. Right after the attacks, I remembered someone said " Come on,
> >you want bin Laden? We'll give you 20 of him."
> >
> >After America kills a Bin Laden, there will be 19 more. Even there is
> >only one Bin Laden, there are many who want to succeed him.
> >
> >If you look at it from another angle, Bin Laden is a symbol rather
> >than a human. There may be no Bin Laden ever existed.
> >
> >I read this on the Internet. The best punishment for Bin Laden is to
> >perform sex-change operation on him after catching him alive. Then,
> >return him back to Afghan and make him understand how they treat
> >women there.
> >
> >We should not forget that many of bin Laden's brothers were once the
> >business partners of the Bush. The doctor who is the right-hand man to
> >bin Laden was a member of the assassins who killed Sadat. There may be
> >others who run away from Egypt after the assassination.
> >
> >People often mention that they hate America because we are rich. I can
> >understand it well. When I see wealthy people, I feel anger
> >instinctively. It is natural for Afghans to hate wealthy America. They
> >just cannot help from hating her.
> >
> >It is not going to solve all the problems if America stops supporting
> >Israel. However, from the Arab perspective, Israel is the source of
> >all the problems.
> >
> >Finally, if I want to invest in stock now, I am going to invest in the
> >tobacco industry. After the attacks, many who had quit smoking, has
> >begun to smoke again.
> >
> >--End--
> >
> >
> >--
> >Naoki Yamamoto <naoki at matatabi.com> in Yokohama, Japan
> >Matatabi Digital Industry Report <http://www.matatabi.com>
> >Gpg Fingerprint = B2A7 2A11 C50B DCC4 83EB  9311 607A FAE9 386B F070
> >Public Key available from <http://www.matatabi.com/naoki_pubkey.html>
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Doug Millison - Writer/Editor/Web Editorial Consultant
> millison at online-journalist.com
> www.Online-Journalist.com
>