Saint Jack

[Bandwraith at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/19/02 3:33:29 PM, MalignD at aol.com writes:

<< Give it to him, my man.  Kick the stooge's punk ass.  If he shows his 
girly 
face, which he won't.
 >>

Unfortunately, you're probably correct. It would be fun if he
were to hang around a bit, though, since his flames actually 
tend to deal with assertions that are arguable, rather than
the usual attempts at character assasination, or chiidish
name calling. (At least, he includes specific assertions and
attempts to support them along with the gratuitous venom.) 

Unfortunately for St. Clair, however, Pynchon is just not 
the ideological vehicle that he so fervently wished him to be, 
even in V. and GR. He recognized that himself with the publication of
Vineland- about which he could not hide his disappointment-
and again, apparently, with M&D. It's not that Pynchon doesn't
bring up all those issues which get St. Clair's juices un-phleg'd,
but that Pynchon is more interested in raising the questions
rather than in providing rhetorical ammunition for those
atop the barricades- who've made a career out of being atop
the barricades.

"Stooge" is not a bad descriptor, however. It encompasses the 
net reality of where St. Clair's vitriolic tends to lead, and implies his
usefulness, albeit unconsciously, to the forces he rails against.
Agent provocateur might yet be too strong- yet. But one senses
the frustration and anger with those he deems as "gray little men 
who rush forward to defend fascists." And, although his hatred
still seems pointed toward the right wing, there is in his
rhetoric a certain respect for the likes of "johnson and his gang 
of steel curtained thugs," so that eventually, one could envision-
if only out of pure frustration- St. Clair crossing over, into the
world he thought Pynchon had harbingered, the world of action.  

eh, Steely?