Mapping the Zone: A Thomas Pynchon discussion podcast

You read it right, this is part one of two episodes covering Chapters 51-55. If you’ve previously read these chapters, you’ll know why we’re doing two episodes covering them. If this is your first time through, you’ll understand. There is simply too much happening in these chapters to cover in just one episode so, after recording, we decided to cover more of it next week. For now, we’ll talk about...

We thought this would be a shorter episode, but once we got to discussing the goings-on in these chapters, we just kept going. We talked about the culture of reading, the buffoonery of Darby & Cope, Golems, and much more. We also had a pretty lengthy (spoiler-free) conversation about Oppenheimer and Barbie, which is featured after the discussion on the chapters, so stick around if you're inter...

We could have spent this whole episode discussing the duck again. Instead, we talked about the darker side of American history, M&D navigating uncomfortable social situations, well-balanced bathtubs, property and marriage divisions, and, of course, everyone’s favorite duck. Order Brett Biebel's Mason & Dixon Companion: https://ugapress.org/book/9780820365831/a-mason-and-dixon-companion/ If...

Gastronomy, astronomy, an automaton duck with a vengeance against chefs, discussions about sandwiches, the eucharist, democratic representation, beavers as a pest and food source, and so much more is crammed into these five chapters. We had a great time talking about them and hope you enjoy our conversation. Order Brett Biebel's Mason & Dixon Companion: https://ugapress.org/book/9780820365831/...

We had quite a lot to discuss in these chapters, so prepare for a longer than usual episode. The brutality and senselessness of the Paxton boys (and American colonialism in general), talking watches that shapeshift into vegetables, westward expansion and the impact of capitalistic real estate, and so much more. We invite you to share your thoughts with us about the book, these chapters, or anythin...

After landing in Philadelphia, Mason & Dixon are greeted with a bounty of new experiences and faces: street hawkers, founding fathers, secret societies, dreadfully lifelike wax figures. They discuss various topics with Benjamin Franklin, get high with George Washington, and witness the aforementioned Franklin’s electric performance. It was a wild five chapters and we had a great time discussin...

We’ve finished the first section of Mason & Dixon and are joined by Brett Biebel, author of A Mason and Dixon Companion (published by University of Georgia Press). Brett has been sharing his knowledge of the history behind Mason & Dixon as we have been going through the book and his insight has been invaluable. Join us as we talk about the goings-on of Part I: Latitudes and Departures, who...

British "pizza", a hipster werewolf, attempted hurdy-gurdy music, and eccentric historical figures are all present alongside critiques of capitalism, explorations of the concept of ley-lines, and some much needed backstory for Dixon. Join us this week as we discuss Chapters 21-25, the final five chapters of Part I of Mason & Dixon. We have decided to tack on some non-Pynchon discussion we had...

The wheel of cheese turns, and memories are, perhaps, not an accurate representation of events. Mason recalls meeting Rebekah, encounters a cramped museum dedicated to a bizarre historical event, and we get significant insight into several of his relationships. All this, plus missing days, ghosts, and fights against the passage of time. Next week, we will cover Chapters 21-25. Order Brett Biebel's...

Visions of deceased loved ones, an island with an evil living within it which gives it a sentient quality, a secret room in a tavern wherein an unspeakable horror becomes fuel for disturbing escapades, astronomy, astrology, and a pair of talking clocks—Chapters 11-15 of Mason & Dixon is packed with all of these and more. Join us as we discuss what we liked and didn’t like in these chapters. Ne...

Mason & Dixon continue on the early stage of their journey, making their way to, and spending time in, Cape Town. While there, they encounter paranoid Dutch authorities, women who throw themselves at guests of their house for nefarious purposes, and ketjap; so much ketjap. All while they await the transit of Venus—an astronomical event which will impact all who witness it. Order Brett Biebel's...

Needing to maintain the food and lodging situation he has been granted, the Reverend Wicks Cherrycoke tells a tale to his young nephews (and any other family members willing to listen) the story of Charles Mason and Jerimiah Dixon—their meeting and initial travels being the focus of these first five chapters. Along the way they meet a talking dog, find themselves stuck in a naval skirmish, and beg...

One down, eight to go! With The Crying of Lot 49 complete, we discuss our views on the book as a whole and the future of the podcast. We are taking a week off and will return with the first episode of our next book, Mason & Dixon, on 05 May 2023. We are (for now) following the group read-along from Reddit for our reading schedule, so the first episode will consist of the first five chapters. J...

Oedipa learns about the history of W.A.S.T.E. and, as a result, realizes both the breadth of Inverarity's ownings and the desolation she has allowed herself to fall into. The search for meaning behind the symbols she has been seeing comes to a head and Oedipa attends the auction of Pierce's estate to try and see who the mysterious person with extreme interest in the stamp collection could be. We'l...

Fully cemented into the idea of W.A.S.T.E, Oedipa has several encounters which provide her further insight into the vastness of the underground organization. A meeting with Nefastis proves he is true to his name; an unnamed man at a bar has her realize that W.A.S.T.E. may be more than what she initially thought; a drunken night wandering the streets leads to sightings of muted post horns (or were...

Wrapped in paranoia like it was a blanket, Oedipa makes her way to a shareholder’s meeting at Yoyodyne, wherein she meets anti-Capitalist Stanley Koteks who seemingly confirms the existence of W.A.S.T.E. Oedpia goes on to return to the Scope with Metzger and Fallopian before finding her way to a retirement home where she meets Mr. Thoth, who spins a yarn that seems to connect to the secretive unde...

In our first bonus episode, we discuss the (mostly summarized)play-within-the-book, The Courier's Tragedy. Nestled into the middle of The Crying of Lot 49, the fictitious play that Oedipa watches is a highly analyzed portion of the book. Some feel it is a Shakespeare style JFK analogue, while others consider it Pynchon intentionally misdirecting the reader's attention. We break down some of these...

Things get quite curious and with little to no delay as Oedipa begins to see the scope of Pierce's empire. With Metzger in tow, she travels to a bar in L.A. which hosts a group of electronic audio enthusiasts wherein she learns of the Peter Penguid Society (a far right political organization) and W.A.S.T.E. (an underground mail system ostensibly run by Yoyodyne employees). She and Metzger eventual...

A sketchy motel, a weird teenage motel manager and his mop-top bandmates, an untrustworthy child-actor turned lawyer, a can of hairspray chaotically flying around, and the early stages of paranoia settling in are all packed in this chapter into more layers than Oedipa ends up wearing during her game of strip-Botticelli. Join us in our discussion of Chapter 2 of The Crying of Lot 49. CONTENT WARNIN...

In Chapter 1, Oedipa Maas has returned from a tupperware party and is made aware of a potentially life-changing arrangement. We get to know a bit about Oedipa, her husband Wendell (aka "Mucho"), her recently deceased ex-boyfriend Pierce Inverarity (who is responsible for the arrangement Oedipa has become aware of), her lawyer, Roseman (who has a love/hate relationship with fictional television att...

In this inaugural episode of Mapping the Zone, our hosts introduce themselves and discuss a few topics to provide some insight into who they are and what they love about the subject of this podcast, Thomas Pynchon. Also discussed is what listeners can expect of the show going forward and which of Pynchon's books they will discuss first. If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, pl...