Brief essay; may not have been noted before: 'Pynchon's The Crying Of Lot 49' by Steven Carter. _The Explicator_ 59.1. Washington: Fall 2000, pp. 50-2. Abstract Carter discusses Thomas Pynchon's "The Crying of Lot 49," and the author's use of metaphor to illustrate the battle against narcissism and oblivion. Pdf available. Contact me offlist. best