Previously unknown photographs of Thomas Pynchon?

MothraAttack · 14th April 2008, 09:22 PM

It's no big secret that Thomas Pynchon is camera shy. That being said, I came across this tidbit the other day while scanning a Pynchon fansite:

"The hunt is on for these (extremely rare) Pynchon photos:

* As a pallbearer at Richard Farina's funeral in 1966 in the 1st edition only of The Judy Collins Songbook (unconfirmed)
* Pynchon and Farina in period costume, duelling in a cemetery, that was published in a joke edition of the Cornell Sun in the spring of 1959
* Pynchon's Ford Foundation grant application of 1959 leaked out, but has been suppressed. See the article by Steve Weisenburger in "American Literature" 62.4 (December 1990): 692-97."

From here

Perhaps half a dozen photographs of him are known to exist. While the fansite in question is a bit old, these alleged pics are still AWOL. Interestingly, however, on a Richard Farina fansite I found these photos from a "joke edition of The Cornell Sun."

See the second part here. It appears to be a picture of Farina and an unknown male dueling in a cemetery. Nom de plumes seem to be used in the cutlines.

Is "Marcel Alador" a young Pynchon? I e-mailed the webmaster, but there was no response. Naturally, then, my curiosity brought me to my next-best resource: JREF. Can anyone here help shed some light on this, be it from finding The Cornell Sun in question or otherwise?

Perhaps, though, it's a mystery best unsolved.

Piscivore · 15th April 2008, 07:07 AM

If that is him, I think we should be looking at what Ron Perleman's been doing with his time off...

Gravy · 16th April 2008, 05:59 AM

A story I hadn't heard before, from the Pynchon Wikipedia entry:

Quote:

After the publication and success of Gravity's Rainbow, interest mounted in finding out more about the identity of the author. At the 1974 National Book Award ceremony, the president of Viking Press, Tom Guinzberg, arranged for double-talking comedian "Professor" Irwin Corey to accept the prize on Pynchon's behalf (Royster 2005). Many of the assembled guests had no idea who Corey was, and, having never seen the author, they assumed that it was Pynchon himself on the stage delivering Corey's trademark torrent of rambling, pseudo-scholarly verbiage (Corey 1974). Towards the end of Corey's address a streaker ran through the hall, adding further to the confusion.

Brilliant. Those who haven't seen Corey's schtick won't know how frikkin hilarious that is. Transcription of Corey's acceptance speech.

14th April 2008, 09:22 PM	#1
MothraAttack New Blood Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 19	Previously unknown photographs of Thomas Pynchon? It's no big secret that Thomas Pynchon is camera shy. That being said, I came across this tidbit the other day while scanning a Pynchon fansite: "The hunt is on for these (extremely rare) Pynchon photos: * As a pallbearer at Richard Farina's funeral in 1966 in the 1st edition only of The Judy Collins Songbook (unconfirmed) * Pynchon and Farina in period costume, duelling in a cemetery, that was published in a joke edition of the Cornell Sun in the spring of 1959 * Pynchon's Ford Foundation grant application of 1959 leaked out, but has been suppressed. See the article by Steve Weisenburger in "American Literature" 62.4 (December 1990): 692-97." From here Perhaps half a dozen photographs of him are known to exist. While the fansite in question is a bit old, these alleged pics are still AWOL. Interestingly, however, on a Richard Farina fansite I found these photos from a "joke edition of The Cornell Sun." See the second part here. It appears to be a picture of Farina and an unknown male dueling in a cemetery. Nom de plumes seem to be used in the cutlines. Is "Marcel Alador" a young Pynchon? I e-mailed the webmaster, but there was no response. Naturally, then, my curiosity brought me to my next-best resource: JREF. Can anyone here help shed some light on this, be it from finding The Cornell Sun in question or otherwise? Perhaps, though, it's a mystery best unsolved.
MothraAttack New Blood Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 19

15th April 2008, 07:07 AM	#2
Piscivore Smelling fishy Join Date: May 2004 Location: Home is wherever I'm with you Posts: 26,459	If that is him, I think we should be looking at what Ron Perleman's been doing with his time off...
	__________________ It's always been Wankershim. "...untrustworthy obnoxious twerp." - CFLarsen

16th April 2008, 05:59 AM	#3
Gravy Downsitting Citizen Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: In the argyle Posts: 17,136	A story I hadn't heard before, from the Pynchon Wikipedia entry: Quote: After the publication and success of Gravity's Rainbow, interest mounted in finding out more about the identity of the author. At the 1974 National Book Award ceremony, the president of Viking Press, Tom Guinzberg, arranged for double-talking comedian "Professor" Irwin Corey to accept the prize on Pynchon's behalf (Royster 2005). Many of the assembled guests had no idea who Corey was, and, having never seen the author, they assumed that it was Pynchon himself on the stage delivering Corey's trademark torrent of rambling, pseudo-scholarly verbiage (Corey 1974). Towards the end of Corey's address a streaker ran through the hall, adding further to the confusion. Brilliant. Those who haven't seen Corey's schtick won't know how frikkin hilarious that is. Transcription of Corey's acceptance speech.
	__________________ "Please, keep your chops cool and don’t overblow.” –Freddie Hubbard What's the Harm?........Stop Sylvia Browne........My 9/11 links Last edited by Gravy; 16th April 2008 at 06:02 AM.