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Lipton’s Journal/January 25, 1955/255: Difference between revisions
Lipton’s Journal/January 25, 1955/255 (view source)
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Certainly this is true of victories one has not sought—like my victory in having ''[[The Deer Park]]'' published.{{refn|After being rejected by Rinehart in late November 1954, the novel was considered and turned down by six other publishers over the next six weeks before being accepted by Putnam’s about two weeks before {{NM}} wrote this January 25, 1955 entry. He recounts the story of the novel’s composition, rejection and publication in a long essay in ''Esquire'' (November 1959), “The Mind of an Outlaw,” reprinted in ''[[Advertisements for Myself]]'' as “The Last Draft of ''The Deer Park''.”}} What I have said above applies mainly to the long-shot player, the man who roots for the underdog. There is the other kind of gambler who plays favorites, and his psychology is also fascinating. Victory tells him the world is right which is what he wants to hear because he suspects the opposite. Defeat is unbearable because it tells him he was wrong; such a man often flies into a rage. | Certainly this is true of victories one has not sought—like my victory in having ''[[The Deer Park]]'' published.{{refn|After being rejected by Rinehart in late November 1954, the novel was considered and turned down by six other publishers over the next six weeks before being accepted by Putnam’s about two weeks before {{NM}} wrote this January 25, 1955 entry. He recounts the story of the novel’s composition, rejection and publication in a long essay in ''Esquire'' (November 1959), “The Mind of an Outlaw,” reprinted in ''[[Advertisements for Myself]]'' as “The Last Draft of ''The Deer Park''.”}} What I have said above applies mainly to the long-shot player, the man who roots for the underdog. There is the other kind of gambler who plays favorites, and his psychology is also fascinating. Victory tells him the world is right which is what he wants to hear because he suspects the opposite. Defeat is unbearable because it tells him he was wrong; such a man often flies into a rage. | ||
Yet, I wonder if he is not secretly thrilled by the underdog defeating his favorite. He would not be a gambler in the first place if | Yet, I wonder if he is not secretly thrilled by the underdog defeating his favorite. He would not be a gambler in the first place if he were not unconsciously obsessed with the whole business of the soul’s insights against the world’s insights. He gambles ''malgré lui'' (despite himself), he is drawn into it cautiously, slowly, reluctantly. Gambling on favorites is his defense against gambling on underdogs, gambling on his own intuitions. Men who bet on favorites are invariably successful men who are beginning to be deeply dissatisfied with their success; long-shot players cover a great range of what seems to be cranks, sneaks, weird-o’s, rummies, whores, junkies, etc. | ||
{{Notes}} | {{Notes}} | ||