Trio Plan Midnight Events for Pynchon

by Kevin Howell, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 11/17/2006

While most people think of Harry Potter when they hear about a midnight release party, three bookstores believe Thomas Pynchon deserves one and are staying open past midnight on Monday, November 20, to sell his first novel in nine years, Against the Day (Penguin Press, $35).

"We thought it would be a funny twist to do a midnight party for such a serious author," said Ben Hill, events coordinator for Moe's Bookstore in Berkeley, Calif. "We e-mailed various Web sites where we thought Pynchon might hang out and left invites for him to our party. We'd gladly pay his Jet Blue ticket from wherever he is to come to the party."

"This is a big deal for us because I'm deeply in love with Pynchon's work," said Charles Hauther, buyer at Skylight Books in Los Angeles. "The only other midnight sale we've done was for Harry Potter, and I thought, if Harry Potter can have one, then Thomas Pynchon deserves one, too."

Moe's is the party to beat. Starting at 10 p.m., Moe's will have refreshments and a local jazz musician playing music from the time period of the forthcoming novel. A local Pynchon book reading group has devised a Pynchon trivia contest, and there's even going to be a Thomas Pynchon look-alike contest. "Maybe people will show up with a bag over their head," said Hill, referring to the reclusive author's two cartoon appearances on The Simpsons. Skylight won't have refreshments, but is offering a 15% discount on prepaid orders and for those showing up at midnight. The store is also hoping to convince Tin House, the publisher of Zak Smith's Gravity's Rainbow Illustrated, to ship them copies of the art book a week ahead of its scheduled release so it can be sold at the same event.

The third bookstore staying open late is St. Mark's Bookshop in New York City. "Hopefully, the book is its own reward," said manager Michael Russo after stating that there would be no party to accompany the later hour. (Which could amount to only an extra 30 minutes since St. Mark's is open until midnight seven days a week.) "If we sell 15 or 20 copies that night, it will be a lot," said Russo, adding, "I intend to start reading it as soon as we get our copies. I'm absolutely a big fan."

St. Mark's has ordered 70 copies of the 1,085-page novel. Skylight ordered 100 copies, "which is way more than I'd usually order for a hardcover," said Hauther. "For big authors, I'd normally buy 25 copies." Moe's initial order was 200 copies.

"There has been a huge amount of bookseller enthusiasm about this book," said Tracy Locke, Penguin Press's associate publisher. "Thomas Pynchon is living the fiction writer's ultimate dream, to be able to write his books and put them out there without having to promote them himself. It will be in all the holiday programs and in front of stores. It's slated to be reviewed in every major outlet in the country."

PW's starred review of Against the Day said, "Now pushing 70, Pynchon remains the archpoet of death from above, comedy from below and sex from all sides. His new book will be bought and unread by the easily discouraged, read and reread by the cult of the difficult."

This article originally appeared in the November 17, 2006 issue of PW Daily. For more information about PW Daily, including a sample and subscription information, click here »

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