Village Voice

[Otto]

Who were the writers?

KATHERINE McNAMARA: Who were the writers, then, whom you thought were
important, and who were important, literarily.

ODILE HELLIER: Pynchon was extremely important. [Thomas] Pynchon was really
at the center of all discussions.

KATHERINE McNAMARA: Did he come to your store?

ODILE HELLIER: No. Never.

KATHERINE McNAMARA: You're sure?

ODILE HELLIER: No. (laughter) People would have recognized him.

KATHERINE McNAMARA: You think so?

ODILE HELLIER: [William] Gaddis was extremely important. We had the
opportunity to have him twice.

KATHERINE McNAMARA: He read?

ODILE HELLIER: Yes. To be more precise, he talked. It was a landmark event.
The first time Mr. Gaddis 'read' at the Village Voice, he was introduced by
one of the leading Americanists in France, Marc Chenetier. Marc Chenetier is
a university professor who has written extensively on experimental American
literature. Mr. Gaddis was on his way back from a trip to the Soviet Union,
and he talked. He talked about everything touching literature - publishing,
books versus 'products' (already!), commercial writing versus literature.
His dry humor would send the audience into fits of laughter. The bookshop
was filled with people, it was a memorable evening.

The second time he came, it was for the launching of the French edition of
CARPENTER'S GOTHIC. It was an official event, co-organized with Ivan Nabokov
[director of foreign literature, Librarie Plon], his publisher in France.
What happened was that Ivan Nabokov organized a private reading of several
chapters, by two famous French actors. One of them was Dominique Sanda, who
was so beautiful. An interesting evening; but I certainly would have
preferred a talk by Mr. Gaddis. He came by the Village Voice a few other
times, once with a huge bouquet of flowers. I was touched by this. He also
attended the launching of his daughter's novel [Sarah Gaddis, SWALLOW HARD],
which we celebrated at the Village Voice.
http://www.archipelago.org/vol4-1/odile.htm

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