Pynchon's Essays, Reviews, Introductions & Blurbs
Although Pynchon is best known for his novels, he has also penned a copious number of essays, articles, cover blurbs, and liner notes, many of which have found their way onto the Web. This page contains some of these writings, all of which have been reproduced as HTML documents and placed online here at Spermatikos Logos. Please remember that the copyrights are exclusively held by the publication and/or Mr. Pynchon. It is not our intention to offend any copyright laws, but since many of these writings are not easy to find, we feel that we are doing Pynchon enthusiasts a small service by making them readily available. If some of these writings are ever collected and published in an easily accessible form, the relevant papers will be respectfully removed from Spermatikos Logos.
Spermatikos Logos would like to thank the
Pynchon List Archives
for their assistance and resources. Additionally, if anyone knows of any other possible addition to this collection, please
mail it to me.
Essays
A Journey Into the Mind of Watts
Reprinted from
The New York Times Magazine
, 12 June 1966. This article is a psychological profile of the Watts neighbourhood of L.A. and the racial tensions that gave rise to the riots which took place there.
Is it O.K. to Be a Luddite?
Reprinted from from
The New York Times Book Review
, 28 October 1984. This essay discusses the history of the Luddite movement and the many ways it has resurfaced throughout the years.
Nearer, My Couch, to Thee
Reprinted from
The New York Times Book Review,
6 June 1993. This essay, part of their "Seven Deadly Sins" serial, is about the sin of Sloth.
Uncollected Fiction
Mortality and Mercy in Vienna
From Cornell University's Spring 1959
Epoch
, this is one of Pynchon's first short stories.
Reviews
The Gift
Reprinted from
Holiday,
December 1965, this is a review of Oakley Hall's western,
Warlock.
(Pynchon was asked to select a favorite "neglected" book.)
The Heart's Eternal Vow
Reprinted from
The New York Times
10 April 1988, this is a long and compassionate review of Gabriel García Márquez's "shining and heartbreaking" novel,
Love in the Time of Cholera
.
Introductions
Introduction to Fariña
An introduction to his friend Richard Fariña's 1966 novel,
Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me.
Barthelme Introduction
The introductory essay from
The Writings of Donald Barthelme
Stone Junction
Introduction
Pynchon's introduction to Jim Dodge's
Stone Junction
contains some pointed musings on cyberspace and privacy in the Internet age.
1984
Introduction
For their "Orwell Centennial" editions, Plume asked Thomas Pynchon to pen a new foreword to
1984
. We will refrain from posting the copyrighted text of this intro on Spermatikos Logos until the edition goes out of print. Until then, if another site happens to posts it, we will link to it from here.
Liner Notes
Spiked! The Music of Spike Jones
The text of Pynchon's 1994 liner notes for a Catalyst Spike Jones CD.
Lotion: Nobody's Cool
The liner notes from Lotion's 1995 CD.
Book Endorsements
Endorsements
This page lists the books that Pynchon has endorsed with a paragraph or two on the jacket or back cover. Each book is annotated with a brief synopsis culled from the Web and has links to ordering information.
Letters & Miscellaneous
Togetherness
Reprinted from from
Aerospace Safety
, December 1960. This article dates from when Pynchon worked with Boeing, and is an essay on safety in regards to loading missles. Though it is not the most riverting thing he has ever penned, its mix of Puritanical caution and wry wit are charmingly Pynchonesque.
Letter to the Editor (Genghis Cohen)
Reprinted from from
The New York Times Book Review
, 17 July 1966. A brief and charmingly acerbic defense to a charge of plagarism.
Words for Salman Rushdie
Reprinted from
The New York Times Book Review,
12 March 1989, this is a few lines of grateful encouragement to author Salman Rushdie.
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