NP but Caro

[Monte Davis]

I have retold many times Caro's narration of LBJ working his colleagues on
the civil rights bill: telling Long and Russell and Stennis "I don't like it
any more than you do, but we have to give a little to Humphrey and the
red-hots"... then crossing the hall and telling Humphrey and Symington,
"Dick Russell and the rest of his goddamn redneck dinosaurs are starting to
move a bit, just follow my lead." 

Those were all smart political craftsmen themselves, and they *knew exactly
what he was doing* -- but he worked the magic on them anyway. 

--Original Message-----
From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On Behalf
Of Mark Kohut
Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 8:33 AM
To: pynchon -l
Subject: NP but Caro

I had to drive for a couple days straight and I had a CD of Caro's Master of
the Senate. Even though this is abridged, the huge chunks on topics--the 57
Civil Rights bill movement--"we have to do something for the niggers"; Sam
Rayburn, lonely social misfit;  the evil perpetrated on so many
African-Americans and the ways they could be kept from registering to vote;
Richard Russell, Southern institution & power broker, all show how right the
plisters are who praise this series.  Thanks,Maligned. 

And in volume the first,which I now have,the way he captured the meanings of
The Texas Hill Country--freed and trapped the settlers-- in his single
paragraph thematic headings is so artful.............. 

And Caro suffered for his art, and fought for his truths.....
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/magazine/robert-caros-big-dig.html?_r=2

There is an excerpt from the new volume about Johnson on assassination day
in the New Yorker, I hear. (Wish they had chosen another section but one can
see why not)

Johnson was both for his day and against the day. Shakespearean,yes.