Thomas Pynchon Promotional Broadside

[David Kipen]

Does this mean that everyone who offers Pynchon an award gets a regretful
no-thank-you note and an inscribed book? Because I have it on good authority
that he's just won the First Annual Pynchon-List Medal for Outstanding
Contribution to American Letters, D.M. Kipen, Awards Committee Chair...

On Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 2:25 PM, rich <richard.romeo at gmail.com> wrote:

> this I just found:
>
> http://sweetbooks.com/p.htm
>
> PYNCHON, Thomas. Mason and Dixon. NY: Henry Holt, (1997). Hardbound in
> dust jacket. First edition. Presentation copy inscribed by Pynchon to
> William Plumley, head of the University of Charleston award committee
> that chose Pynchon for their Appalachian Medallion: "For William
> Plumley, With appreciation and thanks. Thomas Pynchon." TOGETHER WITH
> a Typed Letter Signed from Pynchon declining the award and presenting
> the book. One quarto page on Mason and Dixon letterhead dated June 23,
> 1997, in full: "Dear Mr. Plumley, Regretfully, I must decline the
> Appalachian Medallion. Rationally or otherwise, I have a history of
> trying to avoid, whenever possible, all such awards. I am grateful to
> you for the chance to do so ahead of time, as well as for the honor,
> of course, of even being thought of on the same list as Eudora Welty
> and Robert Penn Warren. I do, however, hope that you will accept, with
> my thanks, the copy of Mason and Dixon enclosed. Part of the novel is
> set in Appalachia---I've tried in it to remain true to the spirit of
> the region and the people, whom I continue to admire and respect.
> Yours truly, Thomas Pynchon." Books signed by Pynchon seldom surface
> on the market and autograph material by him is among the most
> difficult of any living author. There have been a few known instances
> where he's donated a signed book to a charity auction, but genuine
> presentation copies of his books are truly rare, and rarer still is
> Pynchon correspondence---and this letter is especially nice. Along
> with the literary references and mention of his own book, Pynchon
> explains his ethos of anonymity that has caused him to studiously
> avoid awards, interviews, and photographs throughout his career. A
> search of auction records shows no evidence of a Pynchon letter ever
> having appeared at auction. A superb pair of Pynchon items, the only
> inscribed book with a presentation letter that we know of. Fine.
> SKB-13851
> $37500
>
> Rich
>
> On Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 1:50 PM, Dave Monroe <against.the.dave at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > For sale: Thomas Pynchon promotional broadside celebrating the
> > appearance of Gravity's Rainbow. "DEAR THOMAS PYNCHON, WE THOUGHT
> > YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THE FIRST REVIEWS FOR YOUR BOOK!" Single sheet,
> > measuring 17 by 22 inches. It is illustrated in black and white with
> > the front panel and spine of the dust jacket for the first edition of
> > Gravity's Rainbow. In addition the broadside prints excerpts from some
> > reviews of Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow. Folded a few times,
> > else fine. Same item lists on abebooks for $575.
> >
> > http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280244927801
> >
>



-- 
All finest,

David Kipen
Literature Director, National Reading Initiatives
Blog: www.arts.gov/bigreadblog
National Endowment for the Arts
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue #722
Washington DC, 20506
Email: kipend at arts.gov
202-682-5787
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