Misc. on Inherent Vice sales

[Mark Kohut]

Ah, those bi-location memory glasses are hard to see clearly out of.
Thanks.

--- On Tue, 8/4/09, Heikki Raudaskoski <hraudask at sun3.oulu.fi> wrote:

> From: Heikki Raudaskoski <hraudask at sun3.oulu.fi>
> Subject: Re: Misc. on Inherent Vice sales
> To: "pynchon-l" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2009, 4:03 PM
> 
> 
> Mark, this only tangential to what you write, but if
> memory serves, both VL and M&D did make it to the NYT
> bestseller list. VL was something like 3rd, M&D 6th,
> I think.
> 
> 
> Heikki
> 
> On Tue, 4 Aug 2009, Mark Kohut wrote:
> 
> >
> >
> >
> > > St. Mark's has sold out and
> > > re-ordered twice; cites the Kakutani review as
> driving
> > > sales
> > >
> > > On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 1:03 PM,
> > > Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > As John Carville and others have lamented here,
> Penguin
> > > doesn't seem to do
> > >
> > > much to "market" Pynchon, a hard-enough project
> > > given some of the author's
> > >
> > > beliefs about his privacy.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Part of what Pynchon is about, as we know, is a
> > > self-organizing 'anarchism' alternative outside
> the
> > > official communication system.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > He has given his voice to a cool promotional
> video which
> > > Penguin has done
> > >
> > > for this book---the official horn, so to
> speak---but what
> > > is to happen to it beyond us sending it to each
> other?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Idea: Whyn't we all try to make it reach hundreds
> of
> > > thousands, nay, is a million possible? If we core
> readers
> > > sent that video to scores of others we know
> asking them to
> > > send it to many they knew, we all know how the
> math works on
> > > "compound interest", as I just now register the
> > > pun on "interest"; A--and, if we know many,as we
> > > all do, who don't know or give a twit about
> Thomas
> > > Pynchon, we might just tell them it is a cool
> video aobut
> > > the sixties and frame it with words like "as if
> > > narrated by the Dude, a bit older, from The Big
> > > Lebowski"--or whatever we want to say--
> > >
> > >
> > > continuing that this novel has already been
> called The
> > > Bigger Lebowski...or suchlike.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Goal might be a the hugest number of hits on the
> Penguin
> > > promo video we can get, NOT ever asking anyone to
> buy a
> > > copy, although some should sell if enough get it,
> of course.
> > > We will overload the Maxwell's Demon, produce
> > >
> > >
> > > an at least temporary overcoming of publishing
> entropy, put
> > > Pynchon's voice
> > >
> > > into the ears of many; many who do not even know
> who he is,
> > > but also maybe creating some new readers for TRP,
> Mealnie
> > > and Jackson. Maybe helping TRP hit bestseller
> lists,  not
> > > done since 'Gravity's Rainbow"?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Think on it: our very own 'anarchist miracle',
> so
> > > to allude?!
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Anyway, I am. My email will link to the video via
> a doc
> > > that says something
> > >
> > > like "Pynchon Speaks! Pynchon, Reading. You know
> you
> > > want to know what his voice sounds like and this
> is the
> > > closest we will get to a public book reading."
>  And, a
> > > second to non-book friends telling them as above
> re The Dude
> > > and, maybe that it is an effort at maximizing
> views of a
> > > cool book video about the sixties...
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > We can get news stories, I bet, if we get them
> million+
> > > Penguin hits!
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Christopher R. Kerr
> > > PARSON WEEMS, LLC
> > > 565 Broadway, #5A
> > > Hastings on Hudson, New York 10706
> > > Tel 914-478-5751; Fax 866-861-0337,
> > > cell: 914-329-4961 ChrisKerr at parsonweems.com
> > >
> > > OFFICE: 914-948-4259; Fax: 866-861-0337; office at parsonweems.com
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>