Against the Day: Chapter 27

Against the Day: Chapter 27

From Mapping the Zone: A Thomas Pynchon discussion podcast by Thomas Pynchon books discussed here!

January 30, 2026 · 2h 40m

About this episode

The episode discusses Chapter 27 of 'Against the Day', exploring themes of influence and the complexities of life in NYC.

Dally rolls into town just around the corner, readier than most to take the world by its horns, but our crew of worryworts can't help themselves from checking in. Helpful roommate Katie eases some concerns, but then again, would a girl like Dahlia end up a mock white slave without some bad influences? Between Tong wars and ghosts of her past known and unknown, it seems like our time in NYC is to be short. At least we get to see a sampling of the sideshows. If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better. https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezone If you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters: Film/TV: Portlandia (2011-2018) As always, thanks so much for listening! Email: ⁠ mappingthezonepod@gmail.com ⁠ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mappingthezone.bsky.social Twitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/ Merch: mapping-the-zone.myspreadshop.com Show art by Brad Wetzel: @bradspersecond (on IG and Reddit) bradspersecond.com

Topics covered

  • New York City
  • Tong wars
  • sideshows
  • ghosts
  • influences
  • bad influences

Keywords

  • Against the Day
  • Chapter 27
  • New York City
  • sideshows
  • influences
  • Tong wars
  • ghosts

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Against the Day, Portlandia

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