If interested. more Reporting from the Field. Where books interact with the world. Chris responded to my email to the List...

[matthew cissell]

Hello Mark,

Thanks for sharing that. It provides a view into the literary field and its
adjacent field of publishing that rarely gets much attention but it is
extremely important. After all it was the publishers, agents, editors, and
lovers of literature that helped so many books come to life in the republic
of letters. Where is Joyce without Sylvia Beach? Where Faulkner without
Malcolm Cowley? (For anyone interested, I recommend *The Times of Their
Lives: The Golden Age of Great American Publishers, Their Editors and
Authors* by Al Silverman. Also, consider Jason Epstein's *Book Business:
Publishing Past and Present*. Coincidently (or not?), the latter book has a
chapter that mentions Norbert Wiener's *Thee Human Use of Human Beings* in
order to address recent technological advances and the changes to
publishing.) In other words, a century ago people like Bennett Cerf, Alfred
Knopf, and Roger Straus loved books.  They wouldn't have laughed at a
midnight rollout for TP's latest, they would have stood firmly behind it.
Now the hype is a frenetic flash of the hottest new thing and whoosh off to
be pulped. And of course no more martini lunches. Probably kale and quinoa
accompanied by some pumpkin spice bubble tea.

Peace
mc otis



On Wed, Oct 15, 2025 at 2:37 PM Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com> wrote:

> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> From: Christopher Kerr <christopherker at gmail.com>
> Date: Mon, Oct 13, 2025 at 4:23 PM
> Subject: Re: Hi, It's me again. Mr. Surface State...goes out for Bailey
> To: Mark Kohut <mark.kohut at gmail.com>
>
>
> I still sell books to bookstores. Most/many buyers have never read Pynchon
> and took the book bec the PRH reps told them that they had to. Few made any
> connection w/ the PT Anderson film. Most do not go to theaters; they don't
> have the cash for tickets.
> A bookseller @ Porter Square Books, Cambridge, proposed a Midnight release
> party, and was laughed out of the room. I bought a copy there as it was
> being received, late on the release day. There was zero urgency in their
> minds.
> It has been a real generational experience.
>
>
> >
> --
> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>