Quick Hits

Barthelme and Pynchon

By posted at 6:52 pm on October 31, 2007 2

Counterpoint is rereleasing a collection of Donald Barthelme tidbits (it’s subtitled “Satires, Parodies, Fables, Illustrated Stories, and Plays”),
The Teachings of Don B.. The collection is perhaps most notable in that it contains an introduction by Thomas Pynchon. I’m fairly certain it’s the same essay by Pynchon that’s found here. It begins:

Though to all appearances a gathering of odds and ends, what this volume in fact offers us is the full spectrum of vintage Barthelmismo — fictions thoughtfully concocted and comfortably beyond the reach of time, reactions less exempt from deadlines and rent payments to news of past moments that nonetheless remain our own, not to mention literary send-ups, intriguing recipes, magisterially extended metaphors, television programming that never was, strangely illuminated dreams, elegant ranting, debonair raving, and more, much more.

Now that’s a blurb.

Related posts:





Share this article

More from the Millions

2 Responses to “Barthelme and Pynchon”

  1. Daniel E. Pritchard
    at 5:54 am on November 1, 2007

    Well anytime a rant can be debonaire, you're going to move some damn books.

  2. Anonymous
    at 9:02 pm on November 1, 2007

    same dang cadence as his intro to "Against the Day". Maybe not the same but with a minor adjustment or two it's what the same blurb might be.

Post a Response

Comments with unrelated links will be deleted. If you'd like to reach our readers, consider buying an advertisement instead.

Anonymous and pseudonymous comments that do not add to the conversation will be deleted at our discretion.