The jest proves finite
Frank Bruni on David Foster Wallace, circa 1996:
There are moments when the full measure of his success hits him and he feels what he describes as “unalloyed happiness.” But there are moments, too, when he feels besieged, disoriented and even a bit terrified.
The latter moments evidently overwhelmed the former: Wallace took his own life Friday night. The Roy E. Disney Professor of Creative Writing at Pomona College, Wallace had been on leave this semester.
Maybe I should try reading Infinite Jest again.
(Via Steph Mineart.)
Addendum: Via Mark Hemingway, an excerpt from Wallace’s commencement address at Kenyon College in 2005:
[T]he so-called real world will not discourage you from operating on your default settings, because the so-called real world of men and money and power hums merrily along in a pool of fear and anger and frustration and craving and worship of self. Our own present culture has harnessed these forces in ways that have yielded extraordinary wealth and comfort and personal freedom. The freedom all to be lords of our tiny skull-sized kingdoms, alone at the center of all creation. This kind of freedom has much to recommend it. But of course there are all different kinds of freedom, and the kind that is most precious you will not hear much talk about much in the great outside world of wanting and achieving … The really important kind of freedom involves attention and awareness and discipline, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them over and over in myriad petty, unsexy ways every day.
Which requires neither wealth nor comfort, last I looked.
Anne »
16 September 2008 · 9:37 am
The part I never understand is why some creative, fairly well off (if not exactly wealthy), highly admired people are so darn angry and miserable. I realize depression is largely chemical but people like Wallace are also rational. If they hate the “craving” and power mongering of this country, why not leave? It’s a great big world with lots of far less distasteful (to him) cultures.