P writing on drugs? Re: On The Road (Destination: Starbucks)

[David Morris]

OK, I'll try to make it clearer for you:

I contend that some portions of GR were most likely written under the
influence of drugs.  I have no idea if Pynchon was so wasted that he
couldn't remember what he intended the next day, but it's not entirely
unbelievable.

I also contend that they can be useful in reading GR.

Was that dogged enough for you?

David Morris

On 10/23/06, pynchonoid <pynchonoid at yahoo.com> wrote:

> For the record, in the several times I've read
> Gravity's Rainbow, I have indeed noticed that some of
> the characters use or discuss marijuana, LSD, cocaine,
> and other psychoactive substances. We've discussed
> many of those passages right here on Pynchon-l, if
> "Morris" can't quite remember, understandable enough
> given the hard time he appears to have just following
> an intelligent discussion (not to mention trying to
> keep up with the smart guys), he can feel free to
> refresh his memory in the archives.
>
> As usual, this response to my post misses the
> fundamental point, that writing about drugs doesn't
> necessarily mean the novelist is taking drugs while
> writing, there is such a thing as learning about
> experiences indirectly, from the people who have in
> fact had them, and it's also possible that Pynchon
> himself may have personal experience with some illegal
> substances (he seems to endorse some kind of use of
> marijuana, in the Slow Learner intro) that he recalled
> when he was writing some parts of GR.
>
> Nobody else was in the room when Pynchon supposedly
> made this statement - that, plus the author's
> decades-long quest to insult Pynchon, makes me doubt
> the veracity of this report.
>
> best,
> pynchonoid
>
> --- David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > GR is drenched in pot, LSD, and who knows what else.
> >  It's as obvious as hell, and doesn't require inside knowledge.
>> If you can't see it, or don't want to, fine.  Have it your way.
> >
> > David Morris> > >