Zuckerman Juiced

[Dave Monroe]

The New York Times
November 14, 2005
Op-Ed Contributor
Zuckerman Juiced 
By PETER MEHLMAN

Santa Monica, Calif. ¡ª Not to cast aspersions but,
with all the furor over performance-enhancing drugs,
it's remarkable that Philip Roth's name hasn't
surfaced. Just last week Rafael Palmeiro avoided
perjury charges, but his career achievements have been
irreparably tarnished. Not so Roth. In fact, since
turning 60, an age when most renowned writers start
having trouble making stuff up, Roth has written,
arguably, four of his finest novels. Is he juiced or
merely the beneficiary of superior genes? No one can -
or will - say for sure.

However, as Roth closes in on several of Dostoevsky's
records, whispers are circulating through the literary
community. One writer, who requested anonymity to
avoid seeming cranky, whispered, "Since I came out
with 'Bonfire of the Vanities,' I've written two
novels. Roth has churned out, what, 12? Do the math."

Roth's bulked-up output is not the only factor raising
eyebrows. Most notably, his sentence structure has
shown no signs of the usual age-related deterioration
cited in medical literature. At 64, some 8 to 10 years
after most writers betray noticeable passive voice,
Roth completed his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel
"American Pastoral" (1997). One of the book's
astonishing sentences began with the words, "Only
after strudel and coffee," and ended nearly a full
page later without even one dangling modifier. No less
a talent than James Joyce (in one of his more piquant
observations) said: "By the age of 45, I knew I could
no longer start a sentence with a mention of strudel.
My fingers would want to do it but my mind just
wouldn't react."

In addition, Roth's continued graphic depiction of,
and obsession with, sexuality is seen by some as
another indicator that he may be doping....

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/14/opinion/14mehlman.html?ex=1132635600&en=8d2236dd47b76669&ei=5070


	
		
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