New Statesman, May 5, 2003, pp. 47-48

[Paul Mackin]

On Wed, 2003-06-04 at 03:44, Heikki Raudaskoski wrote:
> 
> 
> On 3 Jun 2003, Paul Mackin wrote:
> 
> > On Tue, 2003-06-03 at 20:09, jbor wrote:
> > > I'm wondering whether Dugdale's comment is actually a criticism of the film,
> > > aimed (somehwat uncharitably) at some or all of the Pynchonistas interviewed
> > > by the Dubini, rather than meaning to suggest that Pynchon really is
> > > irrelevant to "the cultural present"?
> >
> >
> > This seems right enough. However, going deeper, what IS "the cultural
> > present?" Isn't there a wide diversity of cultural presents? Who would
> > have the temerity to suggest a universalizing force fit dominant one?
> > Don't our backward-looking geeky ones constitute a cultural present
> > every bit as legitimate and defensible as our hip-swingers do? Call the
> > former the cultural-present-other, or call them the historic past. But
> > whatever you do call them to the Big Table shared by all.
> >
> > P.
> 
> 
> Dugdale does seem straightforward. The whole story starts with the
> statement that Pynchon's "incluence on popular culture is pervasive".
> As someone from the old school, Dugdale separates literature from
> popular culture, arguing that in literature Pynchon's "key influence
> (most clearly discernible in Salman Rushdie and Peter Carey) is in
> pioneering a form of learned, larky costume fiction that may play
> parodic and ironic games [...] yet recreates and peoples the past
> with what he calls 'historical care'". Elsewhere Dugdale laments
> that the Dubini Bros "leave the impression of a relentlessly grim
> author, whose work is dominated by pre-apocalyptic dread", ignoring
> the funny and playful side of Pynchon. All in all, I would say that
> this review by Dugdale is quite a typical piece of weekly journalism,
> and, in that polemical genre, OK.
> 

I think I like and agree with Dugdale. I'm not a typical p-lister
however.  P's writing toys with dread, but comically. 

My multi-cultural-present was a bit of larking itself.


P.

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> Heikki
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