Comments on: Remembering David Foster Wallace

By: Laulie

Laulie — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:46:00 +0000

RIP DFW. You will be so missed. America became a little less brilliant when you died.

By: Julia

Julia — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:22:36 +0000

Reading both Infinite Jest and A Supposedly Fun Thing when I was a freshman in college (97–so right after IJ was published) blew my mind. Change the way I think about thinking, reading and writing, not to mention the subjects he covered. He was my favorite living writer and I mourn.

By: Lelah

Lelah — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:27:28 +0000

RIP, DFW. Wow, I didn’t know he spoke at KC. Too bad my sister graduated from there this year instead of in ‘05. Anna Quindlin wasn’t quite as stimulating.

By: n2y2

n2y2 — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:26:19 +0000

Wow, that speech nailed me dead on. I may need to take that one to heart.

That 5th paragraph is a quite haunting. He seems to have addressed that topic often. I hope that he provided us with his reason.

By: the creature

the creature — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:32:27 +0000

i saw his death mentioned on the Sunday Morning show yesterday. kind of creeped me out because i recently went through a marathon reading session of his essays. His “Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again” is a great read, as is his other book, “consider the Lobster”. his footnotes cracked me up.

his writing style reminds me of a guy i used to date…overly verbose, shoehorning in obscure references whenever possible, cynical, without being a downer. i have not tackled “Infinite Jest”. my reading list is too long already. maybe someday when i’m old.

By: Jason English

Jason English — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:55:00 +0000

Here’s the piece on Federer that Simon is talking about:

nytimes.com/2006/08/20/sports/playmagazine/20federer.html?pagewanted=all

I just downloaded the (audio)book he wrote about the McCain ‘00 campaign: “McCain’s Promise: Aboard the Straight Talk Express with John McCain and a Whole Bunch of Actual Reporters, Thinking About Hope.” Looking forward to the next 12-17 dog walks.

By: bec

bec — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:44:42 +0000

I’d be so preoccupied by other stuff this weekend, exactly what DFW was talking about here, that I did not even hear of his death until this morning. I was sick. Infinite Jest is a book that was a touchstone for my now husband and I when we first got to know each other. His writing opened my mind then and has continued to do so. I’ve read this essay before and was touched before, but just that much more now.

Here’s to all of us reminding ourselves a little more often “this is water”

By: Simon

Simon — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:35:03 +0000

I was introduced to David Foster Wallace by his article of David Federer in the Nytimes a few years ago. That is a powerful work of journalism to seek out — the best on sports I have ever read. Check it out.

By: JaneM

JaneM — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:32:26 +0000

I am sorry to say I have not read the Infinite Jest but you have now made me both want to and wish I had. I am a little haunted by his line “most of these suicides are actually dead long before they pull the trigger”. Now I will be reading the thoughts of a man who will create no others and learn to miss a writer who is already gone. Sad.

By: Beth

Beth — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:17:45 +0000

I read “The Infinite Jest” years ago. I was 19 or 20 and it took me about 10 months (I’m a slow, non-committal reader), but it was worth every second. I’m back in school now and don’t have a second of spare time for pleasure reading (beyond the time I devote to flossing, that is), but if I did, I’d read it again. Also a big fan of “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again.” To this day I doubt I’ll ever go on a cruise after reading the title essay.