About the publication of The Secret Integration

[Mark Kohut]

Matthew,

we know a couple---three early stories were published in the literary magazines because of the recommendations of Baxter Hathaway, right? Even unto Cork Smith right? only him? anyway, no agent, he was unknown, of course. 

Ms. Donadio was his agent for V. Correct? so, when there was real money in publishing a short story in some places, the agent usually effected the deal, right? would treat like a book in terms of the way it was handled, exclusive or not, etc. 

So, I like and find nothing to disagree with in your ruminations about being published in the SATURDAY Evening Post. I will suggest, as we know for certain was the case in 1966, that money mattered. P needed money to simply live, in the US and maybe London as he researched and wrote GR. V. Didn't sell then, even in paperback as it and ESP Lot 49 came to sell. 

What I would like to know is whether this story was ever considered by the New Yorker, publishing Salinger and Welty and so many new writers after so many fro the beginning. My guess is No, perhaps for your and monetary reasons, because they would not have turned it down if offered. But just guessing. 

Mark

Sent from my iPad

> On Feb 29, 2016, at 8:36 AM, matthew cissell <mccissell at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Mark et al,
> 
>    As usual your post is full of useful information, but I would like to consider something other than the economic benefits reaped by both TRP and SEP. However, to do so I would like to look at the broader literary and publishing field as well as TRP's own limited publishing history at the time.
> 
>    The SEP makes most people think of Norman Rockwell, all american, wholesome - like columnist Garet Garret. However, by the late 50's the publication was in decline, in part because tastes were changing and their staid content needed refreshing, but without taking something "scandalous" like Kerouac or Henry Miller. Maybe some new talent but not too risque.
> 
>   In comes TRP, but he's not that new by 1964. A-and why would he want to publish in SEP, he doesn't need the money that badly. What does he gain?
> 
>   I think there are a couple of reasons for TSI's appearing in SEP.
> 
>       First, one of the reasons would be to appear between the pages that had printed the likes of Faulkner and more, thus Pynchon accrues symbolic capital by belonging to the group of authors published by the magazine. This is not an entirely calculating decision as one with a good feel for the game knows that certain institutions carry their own stamp with which one is marked thus conferring capital to the recipient.     
> 
>        It also allows Pynchon to reach an audience very different from the readers of Kenyon Review or Nobel Savage in which he had published other short stories. 
> 
>    A more calculating reason occurs to me, but it is not in terms of capital gain, rather a strategic move on Pynchon's part to be a bit of a prankster. Given the nature of The Secret Integration, it must have been very amusing to Pynchon to be able to publish the story in the SEP given the profile of the magazine's readership. It is akin to sending a copy of Gravity's Rainbow to Werner Von Braun as TP and Smith did. A sort of jape.
> 
> This may be why he is not on their list of great contributors, but that is speculative. Although it would be interesting to know how thay came to that decision.
> 
> ciao
> mc
> 
> 
> 
>> On Sat, Feb 27, 2016 at 12:17 PM, Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com> wrote:
>> in 1964 in one of the two great magazines for fiction, The Saturday
>> Evening Post. One which, under legendary editors, helped "create
>> America's" sensibility, with huge cultural impact. A 'race' story in 
>> 1964, the year---mid-December I learn---so must have been published before---- the Civil 
>> Rights Act was passed. 
>> 
>> F Scott Fitzgerald had over 60 stories published in it and was paid
>> $4000 per in the twenties, equivalent to about $40,000 these times. 
>> Four or five a year and he (and Zelda) lived well. Source says he
>> earned over $2 Million from it, or again, around $20 Million our money. 
>> 
>> Do Pynchon scholars know what TRP got for it? in decline and with competition,
>> it seems prices were still around Roaring Twenties amounts so less with inflation.
>> (Interestingly, it seems prices for some writers had gone higher even 
>> in the Depression thirties. Perhaps circulation even rose as a cheap mag 
>> was like a cheap movie need during the worst of times)
>> 
>> From @1963 on, John O'Hara was getting $3,000 for stories under 14 pages
>> and $4,000 for longer ones. TRP, Faulkner first novel winner and brand new talent,
>> with a good agent, musta got around that? Long story, surely over 14 magazine pages?
>> 
>> Do we know of any reviewers or critics---or even literarily-infused cultural commentators
>> who commented on the story at the time it was published---for its subject matter maybe? 
>> Quick Google Books search gives me only later scholars on it. 
> 
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