Poetry, SF, art, travel and a pinch of Pynchon

[Dave Monroe]

Poetry, SF, art, travel and a pinch of Pynchon
David Allen, Staff Writer
Posted: 09/10/2009 07:43:58 PM PDT
Updated: 09/10/2009 07:48:08 PM PDT


LET ME catch up on some of the items that accumulated during my recent
break. And, admittedly, from before my recent break too.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ONE OF the most talked-about novels this summer is Thomas Pynchon's
"Inherent Vice," which is set in Southern California. The Inland
Valley, naturally, was not overlooked.

A friend who's read it reports that on page 16, a former inmate
character talks about "When I got out of Chino..."

"Inherent Vice" has an indirect reference too. According to Rolling
Stone's review, the novel includes "mystic surfers who hear the
Surfaris' `Wipeout' cackle right before they take their fatal crash" -
of interest to us because the Surfaris recorded "Wipeout" in a
Cucamonga studio.

Incidentally, that page and others from Rolling Stone were posted on a
wall at a pizza parlor in Berkeley as reading material for
by-the-slice customers seated at the counter. Those included me.

Having a pen but no paper handy, I wrote down the "mystic surfers"
line on the edge of my paper plate, carefully tore it off and pocketed
it for later use.

Rest assured that even on vacation, I'm always on the job. It's an
inherent vice.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_13308732