Pynchon's negative thoughts on GR

[Albert Rolls]

I keep forgetting to change the email.

-----Original Message-----
>From: Albert Rolls <alprolls at earthlink.net>
>Sent: Feb 11, 2011 2:38 PM
>To: Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>
>Subject: Re: Pynchon's negative thoughts on GR
>
>There's an interview with Candida in which she discusses the issue.
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>
>>Sent: Feb 11, 2011 2:34 PM
>>To: Humberto Torofuerte <strongbool at gmail.com>, Pynchon-L <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>>Subject: Re: Pynchon's negative thoughts on GR
>>
>>Let's assume he judges, self-judges, at the HIGHEST LEVELS---like he tries to 
>>write.
>>
>>Therefore, despite all the oft-brilliance, he wanted it to........cohere...to 
>>be, like great art,
>>so much more than the sum of good lines.......
>>
>>So, he worried............
>>
>>But 'piece of shit' is surely for self-deprecating effect? (I shouldn't call him 
>>Shirley--he
>>DOES seem to think CofL49 is a piece of shit)...........
>>
>>Shit. Who knows?
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message ----
>>From: Humberto Torofuerte <strongbool at gmail.com>
>>To: Pynchon-L <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>>Sent: Fri, February 11, 2011 2:27:38 PM
>>Subject: Re: Pynchon's negative thoughts on GR
>>
>>I can't tell if this is criticism or just a teensy bit of insecurity
>>on his part.
>>
>>On Fri, Feb 11, 2011 at 10:45 AM, Albert Rolls <alprolls at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> Gerald Howard: "As most Pynchonians know, Corlies Smith — universally called 
>>>Cork — was Pynchon's editor from the very start of the author's career. [...] On 
>>>October 20 [1969] [Cork] wrote again to [Edward Mendelson, perhaps Pynchon's 
>>>most astute and devoted academic critic,]: 'Sorry, nothing new on Pynchon's 
>>>novel.' On March 5, 1970, Pynchon wrote to Cork to apologize that he was not 
>>>going to make an April 1 deadline and asking that it be moved to July 1, 1970. 
>>>He thanked him for his forbearance and ended by expressing his worry, with what 
>>>degree of irony only he can say for sure, that the novel 'could be the biggest 
>>>piece of shit since The Crying of Lot 49.'"
>>>
>>>http://gravitys-rainbow.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Gravity's_Rainbow_Reviews
>>>s
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>From: Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>
>>>>Sent: Feb 11, 2011 10:28 AM
>>>>To: Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>, P-list 
>><pynchon-l at waste.org>
>>>>Subject: Re: Pynchon's negative thoughts on GR
>>>>
>>>>As P said about Ian & Sylvia's eternal love song, He is
>>>>always saying---see Slow Learner---that the stuff he uses
>>>>in his books is ALWAYS for the reasons of his art in those
>>>>books........
>>>>
>>>>Basic Lit 101 and we have to keep trying to read him with that in mind, imho.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>----- Original Message ----
>>>>From: Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>
>>>>To: P-list <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>>>>Sent: Fri, February 11, 2011 10:15:12 AM
>>>>Subject: Re: Pynchon's negative thoughts on GR
>>>>
>>>>> wasn't it in the letter to the Dude?
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>which I can't find online now, but there was a thread on this list
>>>>about it a couple years ago.  The full text was made available
>>>>somewhere at the time. I believe it sold at auction for a hefty price.
>>>>In it he expresses disagreement with the notion that GR is
>>>>historically or scientifically rigorous.
>>>>
>>>>Dave Monroe probably remembers.
>>>>
>>>>I don't think Pynchon actually says anything to deny that it is a
>>>>fantastically great novel, just that people are giving him credit for
>>>>a hypertrophied science bone (or words to that effect) when his
>>>>outstanding parts are the artistic ones (which he doesn't actually
>>>>say, but I read it in his non-denial of that charge)
>>>>I said something like the above back then, but not nearly so succinctly.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>____________________________________________________________________________________
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 
>>____________________________________________________________________________________
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