Interrogation on Pynchon-l (was Re: Sloth and Pynchon)

[davemarc]

Perhaps the question would be better phrased "Are you now or have you ever
been a reader of Gaddis"?*

Once we're through with this pissing contest (if it ever ends), I figure
we'll move on to issues of similar merit, such as "Who's Better--Superman
vs. Spiderman?"

Awestruck by non-native English speakers who communicate in English on this
list,

d.

* This is an allusion to the question "Are you now or have you ever been a
member of the Communist Party?"  It was wielded like a sledgehammer during
the Red Scares of the McCarthy area, part of the history covered in
Vineland.



----- Original Message -----
From: Otto <ottosell at yahoo.de>
To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>; Doug Millison <millison at online-journalist.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 21, 2002 12:04 PM
Subject: Re: Sloth and Pynchon


> Have you read Gaddis? Simple question, simple answer.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Doug Millison" <millison at online-journalist.com>
> To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 21, 2002 5:52 PM
> Subject: Re: Sloth and Pynchon
>
>
> > Malign has his/her  own hagiographic tendencies, I see.  We all have our
> > favored hobby-horses, don't we.
> >
> > ><< Pale Fire is a fine, fun book, too. >>
> > Malign:
> > >Pale Fire is far more than that.
> >
> >
> > Otto,
> > You do an excellent job with English, infinitely better than I could in
> > German (which I don't speak or read).  My objection is when your
> > misunderstanding of a nuance here or there sends you off on a Quixotic
> > crusade to slander me with accusations of lying and dishonesty, when the
> > simple fact is that you haven't clearly understood the English
expressions
> > in play -- as in the "freeloading" and "hand-out" example yesterday. I
> > suggest that before you start slinging accusations at somebody based on
> > diction, make sure you know what you're talking about first.
> >
> > Otherwise, I continue to be amazed at how well you seem to understand
the
> > literary theory you seem to have read in English, or perhaps in German
> with
> > help from translations -- and your grasp of Pynchon's English, whose
> > writing is complex and demanding; at any rate, good job.
>
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