C of L 49:

[Mark Kohut]

I'm goin' to suggest that it is an early example of Pynchon 'saying'
that private, everyday, purely personal exchanges OUTSIDE THE OFFICIAL (GOVERNMENT) (POSTAL) SYSTEM is also what being part of the Trystero today [the book's today]is---especially when you work in the crystal palace that is Yoyodyne and its expressed repressive conformity.



--- On Fri, 7/10/09, kelber at mindspring.com <kelber at mindspring.com> wrote:

> From: kelber at mindspring.com <kelber at mindspring.com>
> Subject: Re: C of L 49:
> To: pynchon-l at waste.org
> Date: Friday, July 10, 2009, 12:11 PM
> Easy communication (e-mail, Facebook,
> Twitter, the Yoyodyne system) allows for vapid thoughts,
> quick and superficial expression.  If you're going to
> the trouble to buy stamps and envelopes, and if it will take
> days, weeks or even months for the message to get through,
> there's a lot of incentive to write something
> meaningful.  You have to wonder what the content of the
> average W.A.S.T.E. letter is like. Does a clandestine postal
> system call for subversive messages?  Or will simple
> greetings, updates on Aunt Sadie's arthritis, etc. do?
> 
> Laura
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> >From: Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>
> 
> >
> >
> >Suddenly, never noticed (by me) before, this exchange
> seems
> >to portray the necessity of 'small talk", that 'social
> cement'
> >[as one sociologist called it] to keep the(a) community
> going. 
> > 
> >> What a W.A.S.T.E., what a W.A.S.T.E. . . .
> >> 
> >>     "It's the principle," Fallopian agreed,
> >> sounding defensive. "To
> >>     keep it up to some kind of a reasonable
> >> volume, each member
> >>     has to send at least one letter a week
> >> through the Yoyodyne
> >>     system. If you don't, you get fined." He
> >> opened his letter and
> >>     showed Oedipa and Metzger.
> >> 
> >>     Dear Mike, it said, how are you? Just
> >> thought I'd drop you a
> >>     note. How's your book coming? Guess
> >> that's all for now. See
> >>     you at The Scope.
> >> 
> >>     "That's how it is," Fallopian confessed
> >> bitterly, "most of the time."
> >> 
> >
> >
> >      
> >
> 
> 
>