TX, CA, and TP

[Himself]

As a native Texan and a former Austinite (and a grandson of the Republic, by
God!) who has traveled around most of the US, I can safely attest that Texas
is the most climatologically diverse of all the states, with the possible
exception of California.

For instance...

Tall Grass Prairie
Short Grass Priarie
Alluvial Plains
Hardwood Forest
Pine Forest
Tropical Gulf Coast
High Desert
Scrub Desert
Mesas and Butte
Mountain Ranges
Hill Country

I'm sure a less amateurish geographer than me could come up with more (and
more accurate) categories.

Since this is the Pynchon list, I should mention that one of the things I
love about Vineland is the way TP captures both the natural and human
ecology of the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra foothills, where I've also
lived.  His ability to transmit the  atmosphere -- the supra-sensual *vibe*
of a place -- is one of the things that marks him as a great novelist.
Think of St. Helena in M&D.  I can't imagine it's not just as he describes
it...

Richard


> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org]On
> Behalf Of prozak at anus.com
> Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2003 2:04 PM
> To: pynchon-l at waste.org
> Subject: Re: SLSL Under the Rose - Goodfellow
>
>
>
> > Goes to show you what Europeans knew about the New World...
> Actually, my
> > French Grandmother-in-law is still pretty sure, even though we
> send photos,
> > that San Antonio, Texas is a desert city... weather forecast
> today - rain
> > again.
>
> Mainly because that's how the US press describes Texas, without fail
> or exception.
>
> It'd be almost an exaggeration to say that newspapers in LA or NYC
> say nothing positive about Texas :)
>
> People from all over the world are amazed when I describe living in a
> semi-tropical or forested part of Texas, and they can't believe the
> Hill Country exists.
>
> Or Weimar.
>
> --
> Backup Rider of the Apocalypse
> www.anus.com/metal/
> DEATH AND BLACK METAL
>
>
>