Mr.Millison: The Old Man and the Sea

[Simon Bryquer-RR]

I've been part of the P-list for many years. I am great admirer of Pynchon's
work but I don’t deify him. In fact I have no interest in what he looks
like, what he does in his private life and etc. I have known many a famous
writer and painter and frankly their personal life’s are for the most part
disappointments. So when I admire an artist work I have little interest in
his neurosis and personal obsessions outside of the ones I deduce - true or
not - from his work. The reason for this little preamble is that much of
what goes on the P-List concerning the Pynchon personality I consider
garbage, the worst kind of white noise parading under the guise of
intellectual and literary pursuit but in reality is probably an escape from
one's own empty and sad life. So one can well imagine I skip many of the
posts. I don't like group readings but occasionally like to read some of
them because sometimes something of interest, but rarely unique insight is
revealed. For the most part all of it is far too obsessional  for me.

Now it is this last word 'obsessional' that has promoted this rare post and
obsession in regards to Mr. Millison. For all those who argue and have
argued, because my observations informs me that one rarely discusses
anything with Mr. Millison. he does not allow it regardless of what he may
think. Now as to this latest exchange regarding our present world situation
vis-a-vis 9-11, you are wasting your time with Mr. Millison.

Mr. Millison you see has become in age what he's probably always been -- an
old man. An old man forever reaching back to the defining moments of his
youth, the Sixties and Vietnam. He's relived these moments ever since in
everything he's done and read, or rather read into. And he's certainly
demonstrated that he's done this with all of Pynchon. But for the moment
when the past reemerges and becomes one for Mr. Millison we have WTC
disaster and all his youth his relived and all those long ago emotions of
Vietnam are reawaken in this living dream or perhaps nightmare that he impos
es on the P-List. Can you all not see that this is Mr. Millison last hurrah
which has nothing to do with listening, being right or wrong. It is simply a
backward look at his youth and Mr. Millison is caught in its unforgiving
grip as he walk into the sunset of his life. All this talk of right and just
causes, the realpolitik of world power balances and all the conspiracies
that manipulates this world of ours is really secondary to Mr. Millison's
monumental struggle with his big white whale of his youth and his coming of
age during Vietnam, and even Vietnam and the WTC and its aftermath pale as
Mr. Millison hopefully realizes he has become an old man, an old man as
Krapp's Last Tape listening over and over to a meaningless babble and not
realizing it, Mr.Millison thinking I am on the side of the right and the
compassionate of the world , listen to me, heed my warning I, Millison speak
the truth, open your eyes and ears P-List can you all not see and hear that
I am not babbling like an old fool . . . .

SCB