Franz Ferdinand

"When Franz Ferdinand pays, everybody pays!"

Interesting. Maybe its Pynchon's way of saying that we've all been paying since WWI?

"It's always night, or we wouldn't need light." - Thelonious Monk

I know that light is one of the themes in ATD, but as of now I can only speculate about its signicicance.

The aforementioned quote by Monk something he was 'given to have said.' And, according to someone who commented on the Chumps of Choice blog (chumpsofchoice.blogspot.com), Monk also tried to play notes inbetween notes - that which was in his head.

A friend and I were once talking about jazz, to which he said, according to Miles Davis, it's not the notes that you play, it's the ones you don't play that matter.

Pynchon loves jazz and is known for blending elemenst of high and low culture, part of the postmodern literary movement.

According to Wikipedia:

"Jazz as a genre is often difficult to define, but improvisation is a key element of the form. Improvisation has been an essential element in African and African-American music since early forms of the music developed, and is closely related to the use of call and response in West African and African-American cultural expression."

From what I understand, jazz was a movement of originality generated from the African American community. I don't think anyone today would debate its importance and influence, but in its hayday, many dismissed it as directionless - like many critics of Pynchon's novels.

Also, the fact that "It's always night..." is only something Monk has been thought of as saying, might be some indicatore of Pynchon's religious feelings. Much, if not all, of religious text is not exactly what that person, prophet etc. said, but what they were given to have said. Which leaves open the possibility of interpretation that could - and does, lead to abuse of power.