01.04: Slow Learner

In which we discuss one of the more complex stories in Slow Learner, “Entropy,” and welcome a new panelist, Jason. He’s Irish – if you can’t tell – and we test his metal by having him explain the concept of entropy.

01.04: Slow Learner

In which we discuss one of the more complex stories in Slow Learner, “Entropy,” and welcome a new panelist, Jason. He’s Irish – if you can’t tell – and we test his metal by having him explain the concept of entropy.

01.03: Slow Learner

In which we continue our discussion of Mr. Pynchon’s short story collection, Slow Learner. The story under our collective microscopes this time is “The Low-Lands.”

Included in this episode is our first “Pynch-song,” one of Pynchon’s many songs set to music.

01.03: Slow Learner

In which we continue our discussion of Mr. Pynchon’s short story collection, Slow Learner. The story under our collective microscopes this time is “The Low-Lands.”

Included in this episode is our first “Pynch-song,” one of Pynchon’s many songs set to music.

01.02: Slow Learner

In which we begin our discussion of Mr. Pynchon’s short story collection Slow Learner. First we talk about the Introduction, the only extant Pynchon-on-Pynchon writing available, and then move to the first short story, “The Small Rain.”

Notes:

In “The Small Rain,” the hurricane that has recently passed through southern Louisiana is hurricane Audrey. Here are a few informational links:

A 1957 newsreel about the devastation: (YouTube)

Historical photographs from Cameron Parish, Louisiana, where Lardass Levine would have watched the corpses loaded onto barges.

Information from the National Weather Service’s site.

01.02: Slow Learner

In which we begin our discussion of Mr. Pynchon’s short story collection Slow Learner. First we talk about the Introduction, the only extant Pynchon-on-Pynchon writing available, and then move to the first short story, “The Small Rain.”

Notes:

In “The Small Rain,” the hurricane that has recently passed through southern Louisiana is hurricane Audrey. Here are a few informational links:

A 1957 newsreel about the devastation: (YouTube)

Historical photographs from Cameron Parish, Louisiana, where Lardass Levine would have watched the corpses loaded onto barges.

Information from the National Weather Service’s site.

01.01: Stand-alone episode

In which we offer a gift of readings to you, Loyal Listeners. The Christmas season shows up often enough in Mr. Pynchon’s books, and here are three examples taken from V, Gravity’s Rainbow, and Mason & Dixon. Added in is a little holiday music, arranged and performed by one of our podcasters.

Happy Christmas.

01.01: Stand-alone episode

In which we offer a gift of readings to you, Loyal Listeners. The Christmas season shows up often enough in Mr. Pynchon’s books, and here are three examples taken from V, Gravity’s Rainbow, and Mason & Dixon. Added in is a little holiday music, arranged and performed by one of our podcasters.

Happy Christmas.

00.02: Bleeding Edge

In which we wrap up our discussion of Bleeding Edge, talk of money and jokes, and make clear what is the best thing on the internet.

00.00: Stand-alone episode

In which we test the international waters, figure out what technical issues might need addressing, and talk a bit about Pynchon in Public Day and about what we hope to do with this podcast.