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[Dave Monroe]

Dear Editor--

I believe there is at least one mistake, and, perhaps,
two, on your web page for the "Words for Salman
Rushdie" open letter that appeared in the Sunday,
March 12th, 1989 edition of the Times ...

http://www.nytimes.com/books/99/04/18/specials/rushdie-words.html

Note that, while "28 distinguished writers born in 21
countries speak to [Rushdie] from their common
land--the country of literature," there are only
twenty-seven signatories on the web page itself. 
Without the printed page in front of me, I've not been
able to determine just who's comments might be
missing, but I'm fairly sure that Thomas Pynchon's
words for Salman Rushdie are misattributed here.  My
understanding is that, first off, Pynchon's paragraph
was transposed with Josef Skvorecky's ...

http://waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=9909&msg=40973&sort=date

Such that

"Our thanks to you and to Marianne Wiggins, for
recalling those of us who write to our duty as
heretics, for reminding us again that power is as much
our sworn enemy as unreason, for making us all look
braver, wiser, more useful than we often think we are.
We pray for your continuing good health, safety and
lightness of spirit."

should bear Mr. Pynchon's name here, while

"Meaning no harm, I, too, wrote a few sentences in my
first novel that angered the mighty in my country. At
that time, they only confiscated my book from
bookstores and threatened my liberty, but although
they did not threaten my life, perhaps I have at least
some idea of what it is like. I pray that tolerance
and respect for life prevail. I keep thinking of you."

is Mr. Skvorecky's.  Which still leaves the question
of who was the 28th signatory then open, but ...

Thanks,

David M. Monroe

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