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

Mon Oct 23 11:47:37 CDT 2006

Against the Drugs?
       Go ahead and blame the drugs.  It is so easy to do!  My own suspicion is that Pynchon was indulging in whatever his fledgling writer's budget could afford, whether he was writing or not, as per his tastes in indulgence itself.  While writing, however (imagining, composing, concentrating, etc.), he was so "into the moment" (for lack of a more appropriate phrase), that afterwards (as opposed to "after words"), he honestly could not recall the precise machinations of his writing, as suggested by the rumors.  I further suspect that many have had similar experiences; taking that long essay exam in Philosophy 101 and not being able to remember the questions immediately after the test; playing that tough tennis match and not being able to remember any of the individual points; and so on.  
       Years ago, two friends of mine were intent on enhancing a visit to the Grand Canyon by dropping acid during their visit.  I later asked them about their experiences, and they both reported not "noticing" the acid by virtue of being distracted by the awesome beauty of the canyon.  Pynchon's imagination and writing might well be like the canyon, and the drugs actually have very little effect upon what is really going on.  On the other hand, it is always a shame to pass up the opportunity to vilify or condemn drugs, or drug use, because it is always so much easier than looking "inside", or elsewhere, for alternative explanations for how things "seem" to be.  
                                                           truly,
                                                           ruud

-----Original Message-----
From: pynchonoid at yahoo.com
To: willl at fieldschool.org
Cc: pynchon-l at waste.org
Sent: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 10:06 AM
Subject: Re: P writing on drugs? Re: On The Road (Destination: Starbucks)

> On Oct 23, 2006, at 11:15 AM, "Morris" wrote:
>
> >
> > I contend that some portions of GR were most
> likely written under the
> > influence of drugs.  

OK.  I say there's no way to know if this is true or
not, given the credibility problems of the single,
uncorroborated source that started spreading this
unsubstantiated rumor back in the late 1970s. That's
why I choose not to believe it, and point instead to
ways that Pynchon might have gained the knowledge of
the drug experience that appears to inform Gravity's
Rainbow and his other novels.  He could have gotten
reports from other people, or he could based his
accounts on personal experiences that he has had, but
I  don't believe "he was so fucked up when he wrote GR
that he couldn't remember what he was doing" or
whatever that precise claim was. 

If you need further assistance in understanding this
distinction - between writing "on" (i.e., under the
influence of) and writing "about" (i.e., describing)
the drug experience, maybe other helpful P-listers
will  step forward.

>>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 find the claim incredible coming as it does from the
source that first launched this rumor.

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

Maybe.  Less so when you try to read and respond to
posts here at Pynchon-l, based on what you spew in
this forum.. Maybe you ought to somebody to keep you
away from the computer after indulging?  ;)

> >
> > Was that dogged enough for you?

Very good, thanks, although, typically, you don't seem
to understand the meaning of "to dog".  

Main Entry: 3dog
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): dogged /'dogd, 'dägd/; dog·ging
1 a : to hunt, track, or follow like a hound <dogged
her every move> b : to worry as if by pursuit with
dogs : PLAGUE <dogged by his past failures> c : to
bother or pester persistently <dogged him about his
grades>
http://www.webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary

Stick to the ideas, stay away from the personal
attacks, and you'll do just fine in the upcoming ATD
group read. 

> >
> > 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.
> >> >

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