Pynchon feature for new online mag?

[David Morris]

 A few days ago Carvill John wrote:

> But this guy, well read, etc. but never read a word of Pynchon, well, he made a suggestion that I immdiately rejected, but then reconsidered: why don't we run a feature on Pynchon, written by Pynchon List people?

And just now:

> FOlks!  Last nagging email on this one. Lots of good people signed up, but still plenty of quality p-listers yet to step forward.
> Come on!
> Don't make me name names!

And I say:

Tall order, Carvill.  Even with a new novel it's hard to get any
consistent participation with Group Reads on the P-list.  Almost all
start out with lots of volunteers, but end with less than a handful as
days grind by. And participation quality is a far cry from anything
resembling a "feature," especially if you mean it to be a "regular"
one.  Insights here can be very bight, but usually also very brief:
bursts, not usually fully-fledged, nor sustained.  That's why the
group participation works so well, filling out threads that bear
following.

Flame wars are our specialty (you've been part of a few), and even
those have faded to a flicker from high-spirited days of old.  Even
Millison couldn't be counted on any sustained commentary without his
"kick-me" flame-baiting (such a masochist!).

Also occasional NP insights from all comers continue to spark new
mental-pursuits that keep many here for years.

If it weren't so cumbersome, excerpting and compiling a few posts from
the P-list archives could provide rich material for someone willing to
commit to "regular" contributions of any merit.  But that's a tough
slog, and would require a lot of time, especially from someone who
wasn't "there."

Pynchon-notes could be a source also.  But it's pretty dry even for
Pynchon fans.

I think your biggest hurdle is that "regular" aspect re. Pynchon.
Free-wheeling literary blogger/s would probably be more fruitful, like
this "Conversational Reading" one:

http://conversationalreading.com/

Sincerely,
David Morris