History of Thomas Pynchon in Timeline
Thomas Pynchon is a celebrated American novelist known for his intricate and multifaceted works. His writing spans diverse subjects like history, music, science, and mathematics. He received the 1974 U.S. National Book Award for Fiction for Gravity's Rainbow. Pynchon is considered one of the most significant American novelists.
1907: Birth of Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Sr.
In 1907, Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Sr., Thomas Pynchon's father, was born. He was an engineer and politician.
1909: Birth of Katherine Frances Bennett
In 1909, Katherine Frances Bennett, Thomas Pynchon's mother, was born. She worked as a nurse.
1923: Time Magazine Founding
Since the founding of Time Magazine in 1923, The Crying of Lot 49 has been included on Time's list of the 100 best English-language novels published.
May 8, 1937: Thomas Pynchon's Birth
On May 8, 1937, Thomas Pynchon was born in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, to Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Sr. and Katherine Frances Bennett.
1939: Harmonica lost
In Gravity's Rainbow, it is reported that Tyrone Slothrop lost his harmonica down the toilet in 1939 at the Roseland Ballroom in Roxbury, Boston.
1945: Harp recovery
In Gravity's Rainbow, it is reported that Tyrone Slothrop magically recovered his harmonica, or "harp", in a German stream in 1945.
1953: High School Graduation and Enrollment at Cornell
In 1953, at the age of 16, Thomas Pynchon graduated from high school and began studying engineering physics at Cornell University.
1956: Service on USS Hank during the Suez Crisis
In 1956, Thomas Pynchon served aboard the destroyer USS Hank in the Mediterranean during the Suez Crisis.
1957: Return to Cornell to study English
In 1957, Thomas Pynchon returned to Cornell University to pursue a degree in English, marking a shift from his earlier studies in engineering physics.
1958: Co-creation of Minstrel Island
In 1958, Pynchon and Sale co-created part or all of a science-fiction musical titled Minstrel Island, which presents a dystopian future ruled by IBM.
March 1959: Publication of "The Small Rain"
In March 1959, Thomas Pynchon's first published story, "The Small Rain", appeared in the Cornell Writer.
June 1959: Graduation from Cornell University
In June 1959, Thomas Pynchon graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. with distinction and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
1960: Publication of "Low-lands" and "Entropy"
In 1960, Pynchon's short stories "Low-lands" and "Entropy" were published. "Low-lands" features a meditation on Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, and "Entropy" introduced the concept synonymous with Pynchon's name.
1961: Publication of "Under the Rose"
In 1961, Pynchon's short story "Under the Rose" was published, featuring a cyborg set in Victorian-era Egypt, a precursor to steampunk.
September 1962: Departure from Boeing
In September 1962, Thomas Pynchon's employment as a technical writer at Boeing ended.
1963: Publication of V.
In 1963, Thomas Pynchon published his novel V., marking an early milestone in his career as a novelist.
1963: Earliest letter to Candida Donadio
In 1963, the earliest of the letters written to Candida Donadio was written.
1963: V. published
The Great Big Theme in all of Thomas Pynchon's novels, from V. (1963) through Gravity's Rainbow (1973) and Vineland (1990) has been: Is the world dominated by conspiracy or chaos?
April 1964: Letter to Candida Donadio
In April 1964, Pynchon wrote a letter to his agent, Candida Donadio, mentioning that he had four novels in progress and expressing high hopes for their literary impact.
1964: Rejection from UC Berkeley
In 1964, Pynchon applied to study mathematics as a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, but was turned down.
1964: The Secret Integration
In 1964, Pynchon's ancestry and family background partially inspired his fiction writing, particularly in the Slothrop family histories related in the short story "The Secret Integration".
1964: Publication of "The Secret Integration"
In 1964, Pynchon's last published short story, "The Secret Integration", was released. It is a coming-of-age tale in which boys face the consequences of racial integration.
December 1965: Appreciation of Oakley Hall's Warlock
In December 1965, Pynchon contributed an appreciation of Oakley Hall's Warlock in a feature called "A Gift of Books" in the December 1965 issue of Holiday magazine, praising Hall's sensitivity and calling Warlock one of the best American novels.
December 1965: Declined teaching literature at Bennington College
In December 1965, Pynchon declined an invitation from Stanley Edgar Hyman to teach literature at Bennington College, citing his commitment to writing three novels simultaneously, a decision he described as a "moment of temporary insanity".
1965: Writing The Crying of Lot 49
In 1965, Thomas Pynchon was in the middle of writing "The Crying of Lot 49," which he referred to as a "potboiler" and later as a "short story, but with gland trouble," hoping his agent could sell it.
June 1966: Published Report on Watts Riots
In June 1966, Pynchon published "A Journey Into the Mind of Watts" in The New York Times Magazine, a firsthand report on the aftermath and legacy of the Watts Riots in Los Angeles.
1966: Publication of The Crying of Lot 49
In 1966, Thomas Pynchon published "The Crying of Lot 49".
1968: Signed War Tax Protest
In 1968, Thomas Pynchon was among the 447 signatories to the "Writers and Editors War Tax Protest", publicly pledging not to pay the proposed 10% income tax surcharge or any war-designated tax increase due to his belief that American involvement in Vietnam was morally wrong.
1973: Publication of Gravity's Rainbow
In 1973, Thomas Pynchon published Gravity's Rainbow, a novel that would become his most famous work.
1973: Gravity's Rainbow published
The Great Big Theme in all of Thomas Pynchon's novels, from V. (1963) through Gravity's Rainbow (1973) and Vineland (1990) has been: Is the world dominated by conspiracy or chaos?
1974: National Book Award
In 1974, Gravity's Rainbow shared the National Book Award with A Crown of Feathers and Other Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer.
1975: Declined the William Dean Howells Medal
In 1975, Thomas Pynchon declined the William Dean Howells Medal.
1977: SoHo Weekly News publishes article claiming Pynchon is Salinger
In 1977, John Batchelor published an article in the SoHo Weekly News claiming that Thomas Pynchon was in fact J. D. Salinger. Pynchon responded to the theory by saying "some of it was true, but none of the interesting parts. Not bad. Keep trying."
1980: Finalists Recognized
Finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction were not recognized before 1980. The Pulitzer Prize For Fiction panel unanimously recommended Gravity's Rainbow for the award in 1974, but the Pulitzer board vetoed the jury's recommendation.
1982: Latest letter to Candida Donadio
In 1982, the latest of the letters written to Candida Donadio was written.
1984: Introduction to Slow Learner
Around 1984, Pynchon wrote an introduction for his short story collection Slow Learner. His comments provide the author's only autobiographical comments to his readers.
1987: Leary's Cyberpunk Essay
In 1987, Timothy Leary wrote an essay in Spin magazine explicitly naming Gravity's Rainbow as the "Old Testament" of cyberpunk, with Gibson's Neuromancer and its sequels as the "New Testament".
April 1988: Review of Love in the Time of Cholera
In April 1988, Pynchon reviewed Gabriel García Márquez's Love in the Time of Cholera in The New York Times, and described it as "a shining and heartbreaking book."
1988: Tom Hawkins' suicide
In 1988, Beat writer Tom Hawkins, who wrote the Wanda Tinasky letters, committed suicide after murdering his wife.
1988: MacArthur Fellowship
In 1988, Pynchon received a MacArthur Fellowship and was cited as a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature. He also provided a blurb for Don DeLillo's novel Mao II.
1989: Solidarity with Salman Rushdie
In 1989, Pynchon signed a letter of solidarity with Salman Rushdie after Rushdie was sentenced to death by the Ayatollah for his novel The Satanic Verses. Pynchon stated: "I pray that tolerance and respect for life prevail. I keep thinking of you."
1990: Publication of Vineland
In 1990, Pynchon's fourth novel, Vineland, was published. While it disappointed some fans and critics, Salman Rushdie gave it a positive review.
1990: Pynchon marries Melanie Jackson
In 1990, Thomas Pynchon married his literary agent, Melanie Jackson, who is a great-granddaughter of Theodore Roosevelt and a granddaughter of Robert H. Jackson.
1990: Vineland published
The Great Big Theme in all of Thomas Pynchon's novels, from V. (1963) through Gravity's Rainbow (1973) and Vineland (1990) has been: Is the world dominated by conspiracy or chaos?
1991: Reference in Janette Turner Hospital's Short Story
In 1991, Janette Turner Hospital published a short story, "For Mr. Voss or Occupant", referencing Pynchon. The protagonist explains to her daughter her motivation for writing.
1991: Birth of son, Jackson
In 1991, Thomas Pynchon and Melanie Jackson had a son named Jackson.
June 1993: Publication of "Nearer, My Couch, to Thee"
In June 1993, Pynchon's article "Nearer, My Couch, to Thee", about the Seven Deadly Sins, was published in The New York Times Book Review. Pynchon's subject in the article was "Sloth".
1993: Rumors link Pynchon to Waco Branch Davidians
In 1993, claims arose linking Thomas Pynchon to the Unabomber or suggesting sympathy with the Waco Branch Davidians after the siege.
1994: Liner notes for Spiked!
In 1994, Pynchon penned a 3,000-word set of liner notes for the album Spiked!, a collection of Spike Jones's recordings released on the short-lived BMG Catalyst label.
1994: Pynchon's involvement with "The John Larroquette Show"
In 1994, after several references to Thomas Pynchon's work on NBC's "The John Larroquette Show", Pynchon contacted the series' producers to offer suggestions and corrections. He also provided the title of a fictitious work, "Pandemonium of the Sun".
1995: Contribution to Lotion's album
In 1995, Thomas Pynchon befriended members of the band Lotion and contributed liner notes for their album "Nobody's Cool".
1995: Death of Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Sr.
In 1995, Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Sr., Thomas Pynchon's father, passed away.
June 1996: Interview with Lotion for Esquire
In June 1996, Thomas Pynchon conducted an interview with the band Lotion, titled "Lunch with Lotion", for Esquire, in the lead-up to the publication of Mason & Dixon.
1996: Death of Katherine Frances Bennett
In 1996, Katherine Frances Bennett, Thomas Pynchon's mother, passed away.
1996: Publication of Wanda Tinasky letters
In 1996, a collection of letters was published as a paperback book under the name "Wanda Tinasky". Pynchon denied writing the letters and no direct attribution of the letters to Pynchon was ever made.
1997: Publication of Mason & Dixon
In 1997, Thomas Pynchon published Mason & Dixon, a historical novel that had been rumored since the 1980s.
1998: Donation of Pynchon's letters to Pierpont Morgan Library
In 1998, over 120 letters that Thomas Pynchon had written to his agent, Candida Donadio, were donated to the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City. At Pynchon's request, these letters were sealed until after his death.
2001: Contribution to "Positively 4th Street"
In 2001, Thomas Pynchon provided faxed answers to questions submitted by David Hajdu and permitted excerpts from his personal correspondence to be quoted in Hajdu's book, "Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Fariña and Richard Fariña".
2004: Cameo appearances on The Simpsons
In 2004, Thomas Pynchon made two cameo animated appearances on The Simpsons. The first was in "Diatribe of a Mad Housewife" and the second was in "All's Fair in Oven War".
July 2006: Amazon.com promotes Pynchon's new novel
In July 2006, Amazon.com created a page showing an upcoming Thomas Pynchon novel, initially untitled, with a description purporting to be written by Pynchon. The novel was eventually revealed to be "Against the Day".
November 19, 2006: Third cameo appearance on The Simpsons
On November 19, 2006, Thomas Pynchon's cartoon representation reappeared in a third, non-speaking cameo, as a guest at the fictional WordLoaf convention depicted in the 18th season episode "Moe'N'a Lisa" of The Simpsons.
November 21, 2006: Release of Against the Day
On November 21, 2006, Against the Day was released. The first edition hardcover was 1,085 pages long. Penguin gave it almost no promotion and gave book reviewers little time in advance to review it.
December 6, 2006: Pynchon defends Ian McEwan against plagiarism charges
On December 6, 2006, Thomas Pynchon joined a campaign by major authors to clear Ian McEwan of plagiarism charges, sending a letter to his British publisher, which was published in the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
2006: Letter defending Ian McEwan
In 2006, Pynchon wrote a letter defending Ian McEwan against charges of plagiarism in his novel Atonement, in which Pynchon described the work of historical fiction writers.
August 4, 2009: Promotional video release
On August 4, 2009, Penguin Books released a promotional video for the novel Inherent Vice, with the character voiceover narrated by Pynchon himself.
August 2009: Publication of Inherent Vice
In August 2009, Inherent Vice was published.
2009: Publication of Inherent Vice
In 2009, Pynchon's novel "Inherent Vice" was published.
2009: Promotional teaser for Inherent Vice released
In 2009, Thomas Pynchon's YouTube promotional teaser for the novel Inherent Vice was released, marking the second time his voice had been released to mainstream outlets.
2009: Summer 2009 catalogue
In 2009, a synopsis and brief extract from the novel Inherent Vice were printed in Penguin Press' Summer 2009 catalogue. The book was advertised as part-noir, part-psychedelic romp.
2009: Lotion reveals how they met Pynchon.
In 2009, the band Lotion revealed that they met Thomas Pynchon through his accountant, who was drummer Rob Youngberg's mother. She gave him an advance copy of the album and he agreed to write the liner notes, only later seeing them in concert.
2012: Pynchon's novels released in e-book format
In 2012, Thomas Pynchon's novels were released in e-book format, ending a long holdout by the author. Penguin Press reported that the novels' length and complex page layouts made it a challenge to convert them to a digital format.
2013: Publication of Bleeding Edge
In 2013, Thomas Pynchon's most recent novel, Bleeding Edge, was published.
2013: Jackson Pynchon graduates from Columbia University
In 2013, Thomas Pynchon's son, Jackson Pynchon, graduated from Columbia University, where he was affiliated with St. Anthony Hall.
September 2014: Rumored cameo in Inherent Vice film adaptation
In September 2014, Josh Brolin told The New York Times that Thomas Pynchon had made a cameo in the Inherent Vice film adaptation. This led to a search for the author's appearance, eventually targeting actor Charley Morgan.
2014: Inherent Vice film adaptation
In 2014, Paul Thomas Anderson adapted Pynchon's 2009 novel, Inherent Vice, into a feature film.
2014: Film adaptation of Inherent Vice
In 2014, a film adaptation of Inherent Vice was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
November 6, 2018: Photo published by National Enquirer
On November 6, 2018, Thomas Pynchon was photographed near his apartment in New York's Upper West Side district when he went to vote with his son. The photo was published by the National Enquirer and was said to be the first photo of him "in decades".
December 2022: Huntington Library acquires Pynchon's literary archive
In December 2022, the Huntington Library announced that it had acquired Thomas Pynchon's literary archive, including typescripts and drafts of each of his novels, handwritten notes, correspondence with publishers, and research.
April 2025: Announcement of new novel, Shadow Ticket
In April 2025, Penguin Press announced a new novel from Pynchon, titled Shadow Ticket, with a synopsis.
October 2025: Publication of Shadow Ticket due
In October 2025, Pynchon's new novel Shadow Ticket is due for publication.
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