David Foster Wallace and Michael Silverblatt, 1996, 1/3

[FreedomFries999]

This interviewer just refuses to give up on his theory that this book is based on fractals. He sounds pretty darn disappointed that he was wrong.

David Foster Wallace must have had a great deal of restraint, being able to humor someone who insisted that the book was about something the author knew it wasn't.

[peteagassi]

Fractal structures, blah blah blah... blah blah blah blah blah.... Fractal structures = lazy writing

Talking about creativity is so silly. People create and that's it.

[peteagassi]

All this pretentious psychobabble makes me want to vomit.

[calabiyou]

wish he could have stayed and endured this wierd world with us.

[ValisX]

its funny how every interview I've heard, Foster asks "Does that make any sense?"

[brttbts]

what book does he mention at about 6:19 that he says people related to filmmaking?

[jcalz216]

@brttbts

He means John Dos Passos, the author of "Three Soldiers," "1919," and "Manhattan Transfer," among others.

[brttbts]

@jcalz216 thanks!



[diahni]

Forget the interviewer - I love DFW's voice. I still have such a hard time imagining why he chose to end his life. I know, I know, depression does this - but not everybody who is profoundly depressed resorts to suicide. The ones who don't have close loved ones, I think, as did DFW.

[ToxicMayo9]

@diahni I think it was because his anti depressants stopped working

[jabbadooable]

@CastleRockFan Hee hee

[jonisaok]

This interviewer sounds like he's trying to push out a turd.

[DeadEndFolliesTube]

Silverblatt sounds like he wants to prove Wallace that he's brilliant more than interview him.

[yogsothoth00]

synecdoche is an awesome word

[summer66ification]

Go beneath the surface of Mr Silverblatt's voice--- he's a serious reader and DFW said in interviews (eg Lipsky's transcript of Infinite Jest tour) how much he respected Silverblatt and wished all interviewers had his acumen and wit. He can have any kind of voice or a mechanical voicebox from cancer---that's not the point. He asks perceptive intelligent questions and DFW is happy to be speaking with him. Said it was an honor to have his books read by him.

[drugchicken]

Michael Silverblatt is the human incarnation of Tylenol 3

[CastleRockFan]

Though Mr. Silverblatt's voice is indeed grating, I have it on good authority that he is one of the finest lovers the world has ever seen. So, it all evens out.

[iDraw3G]

It sounds like the interviewer is dying

[jabbadooable]

The interviewer's voice in this makes me want to vomit.

[8644371]

@jabbadooable Oh come on. Be kind.

[jabbadooable]

@8644371

Apologies. Just reminds me of some folks I've met.

[gnomos1]

@jabbadooable haha. it sounds like he's just changing his voice and pretending to be the interviewer

[bluerecor]

@gnomos1 rofl

[Ematched]

@jabbadooable Some of it might be sound processing. In videos from conferences, Silverblatt sounds a bit different. The kink is that Wallace sounds perfectly normal.

[secondthoughtplease]

@jabbadooable the interviewer is one of the really honest thinkers on books, full of dignity and questions. the comment and the thumbs up somehow proof the failure of youtube as a medium of gain rather than one of dismissal and ignorance... in a way a shame, but then, does it matter?

[jabbadooable]

@secondthoughtplease That he may be. From his questions, though, it sounds like he didn't even read the book, or not the whole thing. He is full of dignity and questions? Er, yes.

Do you think I would be looking up this interview (qualifying me as at least having an interest in Mr Wallace) if I were ignorant? Do you think my comment can be the justification for such a blanket statement about Youtube? Things to think about, anyway.

"Proves", not "proof". Hmmmkay?

[yogsothoth00]

@jabbadooable You're crazy the interview was pure gold

[diahni]

@jabbadooable  yeh, pretentious much?

[Shawnruss]

@diahni

By definition, the way you use the word 'pretentious,' does not make sense, given the comment you're replying to.

[dixonyass]

I have listened to this interview many times in the passed. It is fascinating and truly a gem. Thank you for posting.