(np) Dylan's _Chronicles vol 1_ AuH20

[Michael Bailey]

Mark Kohut wrote:
> Remember that West, cowboy persona time of Bobby D.? Early with Pat Garrett &
> Billy the Kid?....That don't follow leaders, etc...........
> that stereoptypically cowboy reticence and cowboy cool?...........he loved
> the chance to be reticent since he di'nt wanmt to talk.....
>
> i say that's what Bobby liked in Barry and his Golden Wasser........
>

yes, Pynchon too of course was influenced by Westerns and even Benny
Profane watches them...real big phenomenon...the Western town with the
sheriff and the rustlers and the saloon and the schoolteacher and the
merchants, great microcosm of archetypes for morality and
understanding of society, economics, Man and God and Law - close to
the "desert island case" that economists always start with...

by this token the lefties and strikers are the hole in the wall gang I suppose
spilling out of the dutch door of the tavern or thru the plate glass
window onto the street
unshaven, riding stolen horses, needing to be rounded up

specifically Dylan said Goldwater reminded him of Tom Mix.
Knowing next to nothing about him, I found after reading the Wikipedia
bio this page

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Miracle_Rider

a description of a Tom Mix serial where he plays a Texas Ranger:

"Zaroff (Charles Middleton), a rancher and oil company owner, wants to
drive the Ravenhead Indians off their reservation so that he can mine
the rare element X-94, a super explosive, found there and sell it to
the highest bidder. Texas Ranger Tom Morgan tries to stop him and save
the tribe."

....""Zaroff" is obviously inspired by Basil Zaharoff a notorious
early twentieth century arms merchant, often cited as one of the
so-called "merchants of death", who supposedly helped bring on World
War I."
-----------------------------------

Goldwater of course also pops up in Crying of Lot 49 and not unfavorably.

("Only thing'll get a fascist by, 's his charm..." as somebody says in Vineland)



Also remember the bumper sticker in Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test: "a
vote for Barry is a vote for fun" and Kesey's contrarian performance
at the leftist rally?  (Kesey compares the anti-Vietnam speaker who is
trying to parlay some enthusiasm against the war, to Mussolini)