Malta Impressions

[Otto]

A POSTING for the PYNCHON-L

"Transit of Venus," the 6th International Pynchon Conference was recently
held on Malta in the historical medieval city of Valletta, a city now placed
under UN cultural heritage - truly a proper setting for a Pynchon
Conference.

Organized by John Krafft, Vaska Tumir, and the Saint James Center for
Creativity, the four day conference began in the morning of June 8 with an
hour long observation of the Transit of Venus on the roof of the Saint James
Center for Creativity, a successfully restructured medieval fortress high
above the Grand Harbour and remarkable building itself. One could easily
imagine the great siege of 1565 as well as the German/Italian air raids
during WW II (there are still many clearly visible ruins from this period).

The weather was absolutely perfect during the transit (a clear blue sky and
not too hot!), two telescopes were set up by members of the astronomical
society, others had special protective viewing glasses, and everyone had
ample time to catch this rare celestial phenomena. For those who missed it
for either climatic or geographical reasons (no visibility in most of the
western hemisphere, there will be another, and for our generation final,
transit on June 6, 2012.

>From my count there were 38 speakers from 18 different countries from as far
away as Brazil, New Zealand, Australia and with only one cancellation during
the four days. Furthermore about 20-30 observers (lurkers?!) were present
according to which day or time of day. Over half of the presentations were
young first-time speakers from the upcoming generation, i.e. graduate or
Ph.D. students and there were also two Pynchon "enthusiasts" from outside
the protected walls & halls of the "academica:" yours truly, the veteran
Pynchon astrologer and Zak Smith, the young artist of GR who had all 760
illustrations on a CD-Rom and in street-wise fashion definitely gave the
most Pynchonesque presentation, even keeping the thirty minute time limit!

Having a fifteen minute hour glass on the speakers desk, this time I too
held the thirty minute limit; but many speakers did not which both prevented
any fruitful Q & A session and shortened the coffee and lunch breaks. With
the multitude of speakers cramped into a tight schedule, TIME proved to be
the major problem at this conference - like how can one amply present and
discuss any specific Pynchon topic in thirty minutes?!

In contrast, at the Cologne Conference two years ago there were sixteen
presentations over three days, each allotted fifty minutes. Quantity and
quality . . . a dilemma indeed. Not that the 37 presentations lacked
quality, but at times even the best listener can loose concentration when
registering the nervous sensitivity of others after the allotted time has
been well overrun.

Being more interested in useful Pynchon information than arguments on this
or that thesis in his works, I can only speak for myself and found the
presentation by Luc Herman and John Krafft as well as Graham Benton's speech
to be the most professional: completely informative, great video PowerPoint
accompaniment and held to exactly thirty minutes! As mentioned Zak Smith's
show and the way he presented it was truly Pynchonesque.

Some exaggerated, others were shy, a few were milking old cows and not all
succeeded with their conclusions - some honestly admitting it! All in all it
was a conference with many new young faces who took their public first step
into the Pynchonian labyrinth. Now baptized and initiated they have
certainly gained experience for future presentations. Although no title,
date, or location for the 7th International Pynchon Conference was decided,
many of these new, veteran, and even unknown faces will meet again somewhere
in due time . . . in some Pynchonesque setting. This list will certainly be
informed, perhaps suggestions even being welcomed.

"And then eight more years till the next, and for this Generation last,
Opportunity,- as if the Creation's Dark Engineer had purposedly arranged the
Intervals thus, to provoke a certain Instruction, upon the limits to human
grandeur imposed by Mortality." (M&D 97)

from Malta, pleasant reading to all and keep an eye focused upward -Douglas
Lannark