Pynchon fax

[Otto]

----- Original Message -----
From: "jbor" <jbor at bigpond.com>
To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2004 2:33 PM
Subject: Re: Pynchon fax


> otto
> >> To
> >> me it seems more that you are on a quest against the piece
> >> because you disagree with his critical attitude in it
>
> > if you read as closely as usual you will find that "to me it
> > seems" that way. I did not put any words into yout mouth.
>
> It's interesting that you feel you need that wiggle room. It seems to me
> that it shows up just how weak your arguments actually are.
>

Rhetorical tricks. It is hardly a coincidence that the ones who prefer to
question the authenticity of that piece disagree to what he says in it, have
called the "1984"-Intro a shitty essay etc.

> >> Again, has anyone contacted Pynchon through his agent or publisher to
> >> try to verify the authenticity of the Playboy Japan statement? And, if
not,
> > > why not?
> >
>
> > I guess nobody did it because the story goes they wouldn't answer.
>
> So goes the "myth" you're constructing, anyway. It seems to me that those
> few voices here who are championing the Japan Playboy piece as a
> definitive
> public statement made by Pynchon are too scared to ask. Or else, one at
> least might know already what the answer will be.
>

Now you are accusing someone of a deliberate fake, a strong accusation. You
should try to prove it by sending the following mail yourself.

> All it would take is a simple email or fax to his publisher or agent.
> Something like this:
>
>     Dear Sir or Madam
>
>     A friend alerted me to an 'Interview with Thomas Pynchon'
>     which was published in the December 2001 issue of Playboy
>     Japan, and provided a loose translation from the Japanese,
>     which has since been published on the Web:
>
>     http://www.ottosell.de/pynchon/playboy.htm
>
>     I would like to inquire if there is an English transcript
>     of this interview that could be published on the Internet.
>
>     Yours Sincerely
>
>     ...
>
> You or davemarc or the pynchonoid should go for it. After all, no other
> journalist or critic or academic has touched the story in the 27-odd
months
> since the "interview" appeared in print -- the scoop is there for the
> taking. And you might even get a thank you note like Don Foster did.
>
> best

Again, apart from Pynchon Notes 46 if my information is correct.

Otto