Pynchon Interview Playboy Japan -- Translation Questions

[Scott Badger]

Barbara:
>I was thinking the kind of "rich" that makes Pynchon's stomach turn are IB
>Farben and Shell types, or their modern-day equivalents. You know, the
super
>rich.

But Pynchon doesn't say "wealthy corporations" or "wealthy crooks" or "super
wealthy" or.....he (or somebody) says "wealthy person". For many Americans,
let alone the rest of the world population, Pynchon would be considered a
"wealthy person" - hypocrisy aside, are they justified in hating him? The
point is that "wealthy" is relative and his use of the term, and the
statement he makes, is meaningless. Odd for an author noted for his
considerable attention to the use and meaning of words. Also, do you really
think the prejudicial nature of the statement is typical of Pynchon? Or, If
he, and you, are saying that "wealth", however accumulated, is to be
despised, I know many who would be happy to accept half the difference
between their income and savings and his/yours to help close the gap and
ease your souls.....

Whoever the author is, Pynchon, the interviewer or somebody completely
different, the statements are asinine. And however bad a day he might have
been having, or however poor he is at political commentary or thinking on
his feet, the gap between Pynchon's fiction (and other commentary) and this
article is huge. This isn't deification, it's simply consideration of the
evidence.

Scott Badger