David Foster Wallace - Death is Not the End

[deborahsgoode]

David Foster Wallace was brilliant in a deeply moving and poetic way. I look forward to getting to know his mind through the writing he left behind.

[KennyReddwooddforest]

That is so funny. But its really sad because he sees himself as a caricature, very self hating. What is funny is his wordings not the content. Shows his brilliance of writing. A man who had nothing to hide unlike those who he is so bitter about. Ohhh, I wish I could have met him. He tried to relieve people of loneliness, the loneliness that he knew himself. Friedrich Nietzsche once said: "Its lonely up there in the sky" meaning the person who is noble minded and has high goals for society.

[jgonzalezsolorio]

Sticking it to Guggenheim! Beautiful!!

[danbison]

So many sentence fragments!

[timothywilliamowen]

@danbison They aren't fragments. That's all the first sentence. It's two and a half pages long.

[dancetyson]

This is his idea of heaven. The poet's heaven. A massively impressive description of peace.

[madamimadamimadam]

@dancetyson I would argue this is his idea of hell. The writer who has achieved every goal available to him but still has years to live, knowing he has nothing left to give to his craft.

[BCKBCK]

As all great art, it can hold multiple meanings. I think it is about how literary greatness does not translate into "life greatness", how a literary giant is just another regular man. When he tries to make the scene poetic at the end, he adds a footnote "that is not wholly true", which we cannot know if it's geared towards the entire text or just the last part. A very conceptual piece.

[BloggerMusicMan]

I found this brilliant. It could really mean different things to different people, all of which are equally poignant. I can picture it as a story about illusion vs. reality (how this seemingly extraordinary piece of man is really quite average), or how fame doesn't lead to happiness, or in fact leads to dread and real loneliness, or maybe it's a little autobiographical, as some of the things that apply to this man could easily apply to Wallace. That's what made him a masterful writer. RIP

[HomoEmpathicus]

His voice reading out the word he has written makes it all perfect. A symbioses of warmth and efficiency, allows me to "recline", listen and see. God, I am grateful for these recordings!

[cosg9531]

Genius is mostly isolation. How many people can you relate to? Appreciate good work, but, dear God, don't envy the process of genius life. Most of it sucks like an Electrolux.

[sarahallene]

I can't read this book. I'm halfway through Infinite Jest and can't put it down. I've read Lobster and Supposedly fun thing...

But his madness is too dominant in this ...maybe it's all me...

[efsmc]

miss u

[jabbadooable]

Ha ha!! He really could pursue a point.

[3oompaloompas]

it upsets me that I "discovered " him right after his death (I'm Brazilian)... :/ he's fantastic. I wish I could just hug him. I feel like he talks straight to my mind if that makes any sense;

[dcmandeville]

He was not only a genius, but one of great insight and sensitivity.

I think his genius was the death of him.

[orbis2009]

I think he realized that eloquence was not enough. Was tired of the game. Didn't believe it anymore.

[agwoodliffe]

For anyone that also suffers from depression, the account of David Foster Wallace must be like a horror story.

[malcolmbryant]

@agwoodliffe You are right.

[wuz352]

My heart is about to burst. RIP, David.

[SuicideOnMyMind]

there ahall never be another like him.

[Katzenpierre]

He is good-looking.

[ronnie2407]

DFW is incredible. Poignant, tender, precise and very, very funny at times too, '..known in American literary circles as the poet's poet or simply... the poet'..... 'he sat, or lay, or perhaps most accurately just reclined..'....RIP

[Postscript624]

Magnificent.

[Zeesterling1]

Okay there's a reason this was the first piece. It is the best, if you understand it. The poet is DFW in his fears.

[jrostby]

@Zeesterling1 Do you not think "understanding" is subjective?

[thebirdful1]

I love DFW. No, Death is not the End--but this lazy, unmotivated man by the pool has reached his end. The death of the poet with his laurels behind him.

Sad.