SLPAD - 76 - first occurrence of my fave Pynchon line

[Michael Bailey]

- so many things one notices trying to add commentary.

Kinda missin’ group reads tho, seeing the treasures other people have found


I was a little bummed that daedalus.fly unsubscribed in the same Digest as
my brief “Zen” comment the other day. Contiguity doesn’t prove causality,
right?

I’m not taking it personally, though ideally my commentary would inspire
greater list-loyalty & replies.

& yes, there is more in that page that I didn’t try to elucidate, ie it
wasn’t my strongest SLPAD ever.

For instance, the inflated body (an early instantiation of TRP’s “balloon”
recurring motif &, arguably, “theme”) - but it didn’t spark profusion of
commentary, beyond noting that rather tenuous connection to his later work,
and pondering the fragility of the body in life & even in death (which I
don’t have anything very new or great to say about)


Or that Picnic has the notion - the respect? - not to say anything when
Levine gets back.


Until the next page, after Levine has had his long, long meditative shower
& is getting ready for the date with Buttercup, when Picnic contributes,

“I like to see young people get together.”

Even in a first reading of _V._, “we all like to see young people get
together,” was a standout line, one that I added permanently to my
word-hoard & use as often as I can (usually without attribution)

Did he also crib this from somewhere, I wonder?


Anyhoo - apologies for pontificating yest about geopolitical issues above
my pay grade.

I was curious about the article, but not enough to read it - had to spell
out for myself why - & within the friendly context of the list thought it
might be worthwhile to solicit from anyone who did read it a nice précis. I
do those myself from time to time & they’re always fun.