I’m in England right now for International Pynchon Week.  Because, strange as it sounds (to me, at least), I’m a scholar of the author Thomas Pynchon.  I’m presenting a paper today on Thomas Pynchon and his ukulele.  Don’t laugh at me.  The ukulele has revolutionary possibilities in Pynchon’s novels.

On second thought, it’s okay to laugh at me.

Anyway, this is my first time in England.  I’m way up here in the north, but I’m hoping to go down to London to see the London Bridge.  I hope it’s as pretty in real life as it is in the picture above.  I hope it hasn’t fallen down.  Seems like it’s been falling down since I was kid singing about that.