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

[pynchonoid]

I don't doubt there's a grain of truth somewhere in
the statements that this particular reporter made and
attributed to Pynchon, but detecting it and discarding
the dross is difficult, imo. 

Whether Pynchon actually made the statement remains in
doubt, and, assuming he did say something like that,
what he might have meant remains problematic.  In any
complex and lengthy writing project, being able to
remember precise motivations and influences can be a
challenge  - started off to say one thing, wound up
saying another, a common experience.  Also common is
for an artist to be so taken up in the creative
experience that sorting things out later might be
difficult or impossible.

I don't doubt things might have happened the way 
suggested, I just don't see how we can know for sure,
so I avoid accepting that rumor spread by that
particular individual as fact.  

Further, I don't see how it flatters Pynchon to
believe that what he writes is due to the drugs he
takes, rather than attributing it to his amazing gifts
as a writer.  


--- ruudsaurins at aol.com wrote:

> 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.
> > >> >
> 
> 
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam
> protection around 
> http://mail.yahoo.com 
>
________________________________________________________________________
> Check out the new AOL.  Most comprehensive set of
> free safety and security tools, free access to
> millions of high-quality videos from across the web,
> free AOL Mail and more.
> 


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com