Unique Pynchonalia

Interview with Tris McCall
27 December 2021
In 1996, the Favorite Color released Color Out of Space, which contained songs inspired by Thomas Pynchon, William Gaddis, H.P. Lovecraft, and Philip K. Dick. Twenty-five year later, the Modern Word interviews Tris McCall, the New Jersey songwriter and novelist behind the album. Now working on the ambitious Almanac, McCall discusses Color Out of Space, his critically-acclaimed solo work, and the relationships between literature and music.

Interview with Steven Ricks
15 February 2022
In 2005, American composer Steven Ricks created two remarkable pieces inspired by Gravity’s Rainbow. Allen Ruch of the Modern Word interviews Steven Ricks about the influence of literature on his work and his development as an electroacoustic composer.

Interview with Sam Shalabi
4 August 2022
In 2009, the 30-person jazz orchestra Land of Kush recorded Against the Day, inspired by Pynchon’s sprawling novel. Allen Ruch and Christian Hänggi interview Sam Shalabi, the Canadian-Egyptian musician behind this ambitious project.

Lineland Review
Dr Larry Daw reviews Jules Siegel’s book about the Pynchon List.

Elusive Butterfly: Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice
This piece by filmmaker Jeffrey Brown examines Paul Thomas Anderson’s ambitious Inherent Vice. As freewheeling as the film itself, Brown’s essay explores the idea of “unfilmable” novels, examines Anderson’s multifaceted career, and places Inherent Vice in the context of “stoned noir.” It also includes a playlist!

Weissmann’s Tarot
Airman Lance Durston, sent by Them, performs a Tarot spread for a man called Blicero.