NP re. fake pics and other hoaxes (hopefully, the last nail)

[Jason Mehmel]

This is the first time I've ever posted... be gentle...

The below post was strongly put, but seems to have a point.  As far as 
I know, there hasn't been a picture of Pynchon for at least ten years, 
and as for a clear element of portrait photography?  We're looking back 
to his high school or navy photogs.  We may have to reconcile ourselves 
to saying that we are not going to know what he looks like until he 
decides that it's okay to go public.

That guy with the buck teeth and the badge?  Could be him.  For every 
argument for it, there's another against, isn't there?   A mistake of 
language leads us to believe he could indeed be a totally different 
person, until the title was translated for us.  This is the crux of our 
problem.  I could hunt across my city, find somebody who looks vaguely 
like the kid from the yearbook picture, snap a picture, and bam, he's 
Pynchon.  If I covered my hoax well, I could probably even convince a 
lot of people, like guy with the badge and teeth.  (Which still could 
be him.  We'll never know, until we do!)

This total lack of knowing creates, it seems skeptics and  hopefuls, 
some just wanting to reach closer to an author they respect, some 
wanting to know more about the man responsible for 'Entropy,' or 
'Gravity's Rainbow.'  Akin to the thrill of having a favourite author 
personalize your copy of their novel.  Imagine how thrilled I (any of 
us!) would be to have a copy of 'V' that bears my name, in the 
penmanship of Pynchon?

If I could talk to the man, I'd love to hear what he thinks of the sort 
of Pychon-hype that surrounds the enigma.  I can't deny feeling it 
myself, but at the same time, I wonder if it helps or hinders our 
appreciation simply of the words provided.

As a suggestion of moving into other realms, I just started 'The Crying 
of Lot 49,' and aside from finding it refreshingly fast-moving, I'm 
getting an impression of Oedipa as generally disconnected, not confused 
by but unattached to the world through which she moves.  Any opinions, 
out there?


On 20-Jun-05, at 4:11 PM, jbor at bigpond.com wrote:

>> Thoughts?
>
> Since you asked ... The next step from fake "fake" postage stamps and 
> a photo of a guy with stuck-on teeth is some idiot making public 
> claims that Pynchon is the Unabomber or "Wanda Tinasky", or 
> attributing some appalling piece of drivel as a post-September 11 
> "interview" given by him. These hoaxes do him and his work a huge 
> disservice, and it's easy to see where some of his cynicism about 
> people and his reluctance to engage with the public and the media 
> derive from. (And why this list has leaked subscribers and 
> participants over the years like a sieve.)
>
> It's surprising that a couple of the list contributors fell for this 
> latest nonsense. It's pretty common knowledge that Pynchon had 
> extensive dental work done. "Here's a photo", "no it isn't him", "yes 
> it is him", "definitely maybe it is/isn't him", "he's so ugly", "what 
> about this one?" etc - mostly it was just the same old troll. O. Henry 
> anyone?
>
> best
>
>