P, the subjunctive

[Mark Kohut]

tony tanner in his essay-review of Mason & Dixon
sez that a key word in it---he gives the emblematic 
example--is 'the subjunctive', the 'had it taken a different path' concept
...America, say or

In V, the West, yes?   

He also wrote "what Pynchon realizes, beyond any contemporary
writer, is that the best way to be deadly serious is to be whimsically 
unserious."

"the serious unserious of Pynchon's writing is a wonderful thing."