Pynchon Music: Richard & Mimi Fariña

Born in Brooklyn from a typically-New York Irish-Cuban union, Richard Fariña was awarded a scholarship to Cornell University, where he met Thomas Pynchon and became part of an emerging literary circle including Pynchon and David Shetzline. After Fariña dropped out of Cornell in 1959, he developed a career as a Village folk artist; a scene that included Carolyn Hester, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez. Fariña and Hester married two weeks after meeting, but divorced soon after Fariña fell for Joan Baez’ 17-year old sister, Mimi. Richard and Mimi were married in 1962, with Pynchon serving as Best Man. The couple recorded a few albums as the folk duo Richard & Mimi Fariña (Sometimes billed as Mimi & Richard.) After years of writing home and abroad, Richard Fariña published his novel Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me in 1966. Two days after the book was published, Fariña was killed in a motorcycle accident in Carmel Valley. The date was April 30, 1966—Mimi’s twenty-first birthday.

For those interested in the Fariñas and the village folk scene, we recommend David Hajdu’s authoritative book on the subject: Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Fariña, and Richard Fariña.

Richard and Mimi’s first album was Celebrations for a Grey Day (Vanguard 1965), which the New York Times critic Robert Shelton chose as one of the ten best folk records of that year. The album contains the instrumental track “V.”, inspired by Fariña’s best friend. The song also appears on The Best of Mimi and Richard Fariña (Vanguard 1971), a two-record anthology. “V.” is played on a dulcimer with tambourine accompaniment by Bruce Langhorne. The droning dulcimer has a Near Eastern flavour which seems to have been inspired by the Alexandria of V.’s chapter 3. In his liner notes for Celebrations for a Grey Day, Fariña describes his composition thusly:

In 1973, Thomas Pynchon returned the favor, and dedicated Gravity’s Rainbow to Richard Fariña.

Listen to “V.” — You can listen to “V.” on YouTube.

Pynchon’s Introduction — Pynchon wrote the introduction to Richard Fariña’s book.

The Richard & Mimi Fariña Fan Site — Lots of well-organized info.

Richard Fariña Wikipedia Page — You can read more about Richard Fariña on Wikipedia.

Mimi Baez Fariña Wikipedia Page — You can read more about Mimi Baez Fariña on Wikipedia.

Richard & Mimi Discog Page — Collects album covers and information on the Fariña’s releases.

The Best of Mimi and Richard Fariña — You can browse or purchase the album at Amazon.

“A King, a Queen and Two Knaves?” – PopMatters, 2 August 2002. An interview with David Hadju, who conducted a FAX interview with Pynchon when writing Positively 4th Street.

“Richard Fariña Remembered: The Man Who Wouldn’t Be King” — 21 February 2019. Graham Reid discusses Richard Fariña on his Elsewhere blog.