SLSL "A Small Rain" Fuckin' Amazing

[William Zantzinger]

What makes this short story amazing? 

I've spent years reading the short works of college
students and this story doesn't hold a candle to a lot
of what I've seen over the years. 

I think most professors of literature and writing
recognize talent when they see it. Pynchon, even with
this not so amazing tale, would certainly stick out a
bit. 

The idea that teachers are generally afraid, fearful,
jealous, envious when they have a student blessed with
talent or genius is utter nonsense.



--- Mutualcode at aol.com wrote:
> Can't help but recognize how amazing this first
> published work
> written by a college student is, especially when I
> think back to
> all the trite, pretentious "college art" we all had
> to endure while
> passing through that period of our lives. If this,
> or anything like
> this, had made the rounds of Pynchon's profs at the
> time, they
> must have realized that here was a nascent writer
> that was not
> quite ordinary, extremely rare, in fact. 
> 
> I can almost feel their trepidation- comfortable,
> perhaps, in
> their tenured positons, at last, at a first rate
> institution-
> almost like their worst nightmare, being confronted
> with
> the real McCoy. It's very difficult to look genius
> in the eye-
> especially when you're expected to grade it- and
> resist
> disparaging it, out of jealousy, or intimidation.
> 
> And if this story is any indication, they could
> tell. If things
> worked out for this guy, it must have been clear to
> some
> of them, at least, that they might be using his
> material in
> future years to teach their students, not to
> mention, being
> mentioned, or questioned, by future critics, just
> for having
> been his professor.
> 
> When I let myself think about all this, it seems
> clear to me
> that Pynchon must have spent a good deal of his life
> feeling
> different, and that, early on, in order to keep from
> going
> crazy, he must have learned to "quietly and
> unobtrusively"
> go native, no matter where he found himself. Thank
> god, for
> his sake (and ours!), he was able to actually find
> something 
> likable, or at least enrapturing, about most people
> and places 
> he encountered.
> 
> respectfully


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