Uncollected Pynchon
His mind, always gathering correspondences
Uncollected Pynchon: Essays, Short Fictions, Reviews, Introductions & Blurbs
Although Pynchon is best known for his novels, he has also penned a good 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, many 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. 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 email it to us.
Essays
New York Times Magazine, 12 June 1966. This article is a psychological profile of the Watts neighborhood of L.A. and the racial tensions that gave rise to the infamous riots.
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.
New York Times Book Review, 6 June 1993. This essay, part of their “Seven Deadly Sins” serial, focuses on Sloth.
Uncollected Fiction
A fiction serialized in four issues of Pynchon’s high school newspaper, the Oyster Bay High School Purple and Gold, throughout 1952-53.
Another bit from Pynchon’s high school newspaper. A short, humorous piece on Pynchon’s band of high school chums, a shadowy group whose secret membership is finally revealed when they are photographed for the first time…!
Yet more from Pynchon’s high school newspaper. A short Arthurian parody.
From Cornell University’s Spring 1959 Epoch, this is one of Pynchon’s first short stories.
Reviews
Holiday, December 1965. Pynchon was asked to write about a favorite “neglected” book, and he selected Oakley Hall’s western, Warlock.
New York Times, 10 April 1988. A compassionate review of Gabriel García Márquez’s “shining and heartbreaking” novel, Love in the Time of Cholera.
Introductions
An introduction to his friend Richard Fariña’s 1966 novel, Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me.
The introductory essay from Donald Barthelme’s The Teachings of Don B.
Pynchon’s introduction to Jim Dodge’s Stone Junction contains some pointed musings on cyberspace and privacy in the Internet age.
For their “Orwell Centennial” edition, Plume asked Thomas Pynchon to pen a new foreword to 1984. The result is an insightful look at Orwell’s contemporary mindset, the Orwellian methods that modern governments use to maintain control, and the possible optimism found in the novel’s oft-neglected appendices.
Liner Notes
The text of Pynchon’s 1994 liner notes for a Catalyst Spike Jones compilation.
The liner notes from Lotion’s 1996 album, Nobody’s Cool.
Book 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
Reprinted from Aerospace Safety, December 1960. This article dates from when Pynchon worked with Boeing, and is an essay on safety in regards to loading missiles. Though not the most riveting thing he’s ever penned, its mix of Puritanical caution and dry wit are charmingly Pynchonesque.
Reprinted from the New York Times Book Review, 17 July 1966. A briefly acerbic defense to a charge of plagiarism.
Reprinted from the New York Times Book Review, 12 March 1989, Pynchon adds his voice to a chorus of support for Salman Rushdie.
From the program of “The Daily Show: Ten Fu@#ing Years (the Concert),” held November 16, 2006 in New York City.
Reprinted from the Daily Telegraph, 6 December 2006. In a typewritten letter, Pynchon raises his voice in defense of Ian McEwan, recently stung by charges of plagiarism.
Author: Allen B. Ruch
Last Modified: 7 November 2021
Main Pynchon Page: Spermatikos Logos
Contact: quail(at)shipwrecklibrary(dot)com
Last Modified: 7 November 2021
Main Pynchon Page: Spermatikos Logos
Contact: quail(at)shipwrecklibrary(dot)com