Abstract

No chief yeoman tried "to urinate in the gas tank of a '54 Packard Patrician" parked outside the bar, but on 8 May, 1975, patrons inside Riordan's waterfront tavern in San Francisco experienced an invasion of unfamiliar characters carrying books by Thomas Pynchon. It was his thirty-eighth birthday, and a surprise party had begun. The real surprise, however, would be if the elusive author of V. showed up. Never photographed or interviewed (at least no public photographs), who knew what Pynchon looked like if he did show up?

How to Cite:

Corrigan, M., (2003) “Surprise Birthday Party for Thomas Pynchon”, Pynchon Notes , 208-215. doi: https://doi.org/10.16995/pn.60