Barthes Essay didn't come out until 1967, by which time Pynchon had already established himself as a recluse.
About a year ago i showed my (then) gf a picture of Pynchon after she tried to become interested with what i was reading. Her first reaction was "he looks like he got kicked in the face by a horse".
I imagine some one Pynchon, likely ridiculed his whole life by his appearance, wouldn't exactly be the kind of person to thrive in the public eye.
