Pynchon on the Simpsons

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 6:36 pm

I feel like I'm hallucinating. I could have sworn I just read in the Guardian Guide that tonight's episode of the Simpsons featured the first recording made anywhere ever of the magnificent Thomas Pynchon. Oh my gawd. I idolised TP when I discovered him as a student, staying up late into the night re-reading favourite passages from Gravity's Rainbow when I should have been studying Alexander Pope, and always loved and was amused by his adherence to a complete and utter avoidance of any public exposure. One photo of him doing national service in the navy, and then in recent years one of him (allegedly) from behind holding hands with a youngish kid in the streets of NY.

An incredible coup for the Simpsons, apparently he's reading a quote of his from a book jacket. They could only top this if they exhumed John Lennon/Elvis Presley/Kurt Cobain or whoever and got them to appear on it.

Has anyone had the fortune to see this? And, more importantly, does anyone know when the Sunday episode on Sky 1 is next repeated? Is it Monday?

DrJ · Post by **DrJ** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 6:52 pm

Missed it myself, at work as usual. However, god bless the internet. Pynchon appeared with a bag on his head. Here's a picture and an MP3 of the author's appearance. Sounds like a fun guy...

http://www.hyperarts.com/pynchon/simpsons.html

DrJ

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 7:27 pm

Well done. Dr J, for being more enterprising than me. Wow, was that really the voice of TP, and does he call himself 'pin-chon' like that? He's now 66 or 67, if memory serves. Time for a new novel. Mason & Dixon was entertaining if bonkers. I hope there's something huge and awesome to come.