Happy Birthday, Rocket Man

Thomas Pynchon turns 85–years-old today

Happy 85th Birthday to my favorite novelist, Thomas Pynchon!

Although his oeuvre chaotically oscillates between pure genius and total bullshit (sound familiar?), he essentially created the post-Melville modern American Encyclopedic Narrative.

Two of his novels stand out, and IMHO are timeless classics: GRAVITY’S RAINBOW and MASON & DIXON.

The former literally blew my mind with its expansiveness when I first read it in my early 20s, and the latter blossomed with my own sense of limit and boundary in my 30s.

Living in New York City for over a decade now, I often wonder how close I’ve physically been to the reclusive author who also allegedly lives in Manhattan. A mile? Across the street? On the subway? A few seats at an East Village show?

We all have our personal heroes and inspirational icons. When we watch TV the only actors who count are those we either want to have sex with or be like. If Salma Hayek and Chris Pine take the first category, then Eddie Van Halen and Thomas Ruggles Pynchon own the second for me.

Cheers to you, Tom! A screaming came across the sky. Great writers have published before, but nobody compares to you even now.