M&D Duck Read. Publishing pre-history.

[Mark Kohut]

So, Mason & Dixon took about 7 years to write after
Pynchon took 17 years for Vineland? One book after another
like most writers?

Seems very NOT for him. First, we know he had 'the idea' for
Mason & Dixon by the late sixties per his letter to Corlies Smith.

 Michael Dirda, Wash Post reviewer said in a review
that it was known that Thomas Pynchon signed at least two contracts
for different books in 1973, after GR was published. One was obviously
M & D, Dirda said the other was for Vineland. Others, later,--one
being John Leonard--
spoke of the second book more like what Against the Day was when published.

So, this "seems" true: TRP was writing M & D at least since 1973. Of
course, only he and
a few others who aren't us, know fer sure.

I think, given the end-of-sixties theme(s) of Vineland, Pynchon did
not have it in mind
when he signed those '73 contracts. Plus, that one would not take his
longest hunk of Time, imho.
 I think he worked on Against the Day and M &D since GR-if not
before-and Vineland developed conceptually and in the writing as he
lived the unfolding of his America.

Speculator Pete.
-
Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l