Mason & Dixon: Chapters 31-35

Mason & Dixon: Chapters 31-35

Author: Thomas Pynchon books discussed here! July 7, 2023 Duration: 2:43:31

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 anything else we discussed so we can bring it up in a future episode. We can be reached at any of the social media links below.

Regarding the discussion about the unique horror of the American colonists violence toward indigenous peoples as mentioned in this episode, we failed to mention another instance of this type of history which should have been brought up. The Herero and Namaqua genocide was an awful event in history which, like the atrocities brought up in Mason & Dixon and our discussion, should not be forgotten or dismissed.

Order Brett Biebel's Mason & Dixon Companion: https://ugapress.org/book/9780820365831/a-mason-and-dixon-companion/

Here is the link mentioned by Brett. Please be advised, it is paywalled, but the episode can be found on any of the major podcast platforms: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/19/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-woody-holton.html

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As always, thanks so much for listening!

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Dense, sprawling, and endlessly rewarding, the novels of Thomas Pynchon invite the kind of conversation that can last for hours. That’s precisely what you’ll find on Mapping the Zone: A Thomas Pynchon discussion podcast. Instead of dry literary analysis, this series offers the lively, sometimes meandering, talk of four dedicated fans unpacking these complex texts together. They approach each book as an adventure, tracing its winding plots, deciphering its historical and pop culture references, and debating the fate of its many peculiar characters. The tone is accessible and enthusiastic, driven by a genuine love for the material rather than an academic agenda. You’re essentially listening in on a great, ongoing book club discussion where the jokes are as welcome as the insights. Whether you’re a seasoned Pynchon veteran looking to compare notes or a curious newcomer daunted by the sheer scale of the work, this podcast provides a companionable guide through the zones of paranoia, coincidence, and profound humanity that define the author’s world. It’s a space where the pleasure of the text is taken seriously, one deep-dive episode at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Mapping the Zone: A Thomas Pynchon discussion podcast
Podcast Episodes
Bonus Episode - Gene Wolfe's Solar Cycle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:19
This is the third of our non-Pynchon related bonus episodes. Today Luke discusses Gene Wolfe and The Solar Cycle. Kate and Luke have been discussing Wolfe and Pynchon possibly influencing one another during our Mason & D…
Bonus Episode - Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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In the first of our non-Pynchon related bonus episodes, Cody leads a discussion about video games as an under-appreciated narrative form, specifically citing the 2017 Square Enix game, NieR: Automata, and its writer/dire…
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Duration: 29:06
In the first of our bonus episodes while we're on break, Kate provides a reading of Pynchon's 1984 New York Times essay. Np analysis, no conversation—this is simply a recitation of the text as it was published for anyone…
Mason & Dixon: Wrap-Up [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:48:55
And so we’ve come to the end of the book and what a journey it has been. We look back on the five months we’ve spent covering Mason & Dixon and discuss what we liked, what we didn’t like, and read some 1-star Goodreads r…
Mason & Dixon: Chapters 74-78 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:04:03
Mason & Dixon’s twilight years are explored in these final chapters. We see both men find new love, spend time with family and, perhaps most importantly, with each other, before final farewells are bid. A few old friends…
Mason & Dixon: Part II - America (w/ Brett Biebel) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:39:24
We are nearly finished reading and discussing Mason & Dixon and are joined by Brett Biebel, author of A Mason and Dixon Companion which is scheduled for release in 2024. Brett has been sharing his knowledge of the histor…
Mason & Dixon: Chapters 71-73 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:12:51
Mason and Dixon have come to the end of the line and the end of Part II: America. We spent this episode talking about Cody’s theory of Mason & Dixon as stand-ins for Farina and Pynchon, Dixon taking a slave-driver to tas…
Mason & Dixon: Chapters 66-70 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:03:30
We had quite a bit to talk about this week. The themes, plot lines, and character arcs are getting wrapped up and loose ends are starting to be tied together. Some of Pynchon’s strongest prose, funniest scenes, and thema…
Mason & Dixon: Chapters 61-65 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:27:17
More were-creatures, please! Cody was unable to join the conversation this week, so Kate, Luke, and Will covered these chapters. The discussion covered the mystical mounds M&D examine, Eastern medicine and Spiritualism,…