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Black MA-1 Jacket Written Into Existence By William Gibson
In his 2003 novel Pattern Recognition, William Gibson gives his character Cayce Pollard a black MA-1 jacket:
Cayce is allergic to fashion and can only tolerate things well worn from 1945 to 2000.
As it turns out, there was no such thing as a black Buzz Rickson's MA-1 jacket - but writers can create what they like. Gibson writes:
... a fresh Fruit T-shirt, her black Buzz Rickson's MA-1, anonymous black skirt from a Tulsa thrift, the black leggings she'd worn for Pilates, black Harajuku schoolgirl shoes. Her purse-analog is an envelope of black East German laminate, purchased on eBay - if not actual Stasi-issue then well in the ballpark.
Some time after the book was published, I recieved a very puzzled letter from the folks at Buzz Rickson's, who had been getting requests for black MA-1's. Once I had explained what was happening, they amazed and delighted me by asking my permission to make a repro of *Cayce's* jacket, to market as their Pattern Recognition model. Yes indeed, I said, and while you're at it, cut me one with an extra four inches in the back, please. Which they did, and it's over the back of a chair nearby as I write this. I love this jacket. It reminds me of the title of a Surrealist sculpture, "An Object From The Other Side Of The Bridge". It's real, but it emerged from a work of fiction. (I'm not positive, but I think they all may be a little longer than the USAF pattern.)
(From William Gibson's blog)
(William Gibson in his Buzz Rickson's black MA-1)
Science fiction made real, by Buzz Rickson Products.
Here's a list of a couple dozen Gibson-related SF in the News items; read more from Gibson's blog entry. Thanks to an anonymous New Years day reader for the tip.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 1/1/2006)
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