David Foster Wallace - Forever Overhead 1/3

[ducknerd0]

This story is such an enigma to me. So totally different from anything else in the collection--why does he put on this sentimental voice here? why does he remove quotation marks? why the poetic emphasis on the sounds of the words?

[kkallebb]

This piece seems much more romantic, nostalgic, sentimental and idealized than most of his other writing.

[sujithecat]

This is one of my favourite pieces by DFW, but his reading flattens it a little. The first time I read this was a revelation to me, he describes beautifully and succinctly things that most (all?) of us wouldn't even have thought of describing; the swimming pool 'healing' after a dive for one. His familiarity with the text leads to a lack of emphasis and required pauses that a new reader would automatically insert. Buy 'Brief Interviews..' and read it yourself, absolute genius.

[tenorsingsfromheart]

I had nothing but praise for his work, but he shouldn't have been reading to people.

[ernestnallen]

I so love DFW <3 RIP

[djembeandtheghost]

Just relax, please.

[shrewdape77]

What you haven't maybe considered, ellipsis michelle, is that some (possibly large) portion of the people who would view a youtube clip wherein DFW reads his (arguably wordy) work might be predisposed to (wordy? awkwardly phrased? or maybe only polysyllabic?) writing the way they do, which way you find so worthy of disdain.

Why, for instance, did you decide to watch and/or comment on this clip?

[dotdotdotmichelle]

Ew. Nothing lamer than a bunch of eggheads trying to prove how clever they are with their wordy yet awkwardly phrased comments.

David Foster Wallace cant read this, and he isnt sitting on a cloud somewhere nodding his head approvingly when you use big words.

[orinincandenza]

@dotdotdotmichelle BBBBBBBOOOOORRRRRINNNNNGGGGG!

[TheFantasticlub]

he is not dead. I saw him, he is living in a small place down Argentine, Las CUevas, deep inside me mountanin, he wears a beard, he miggle with all the others "crazy gringos" who are filling this place

[inutile10001]

Shut up and go back to looking at your sister in the shower, you moronic, disrespectful little creep.

[TheFantasticlub]

I have pictures

[TheSometimesWhy]

my greatest hope is that mr. wallace died with the realization that his writing conveyed the epic nature of the minutiae of "what it meant to be a fucking human being." (his quote.)

a staggering loss, his passing....

[KookyKosmos]

Your "greatest hope" period, or for Mr. Wallace?

[TheSometimesWhy]

hey kooky,

if you're taking issue with my punctuation, use a little context to answer your own question...

all the best and then some,

michael

[KookyKosmos]

The use of 'period' in my question had nothing to do with your punctuation. It was rather just a question of your greatest hope in general. Some fans might be so fanatic as to base their lives on their wishes for others.

Just today I read Wallace's "Authority and American Usage" which is in the collection of writings called "Consider the Lobster". Wallace would consider "'your own' question" to be redundant. 'Your' implies ownership of the question; 'own' is superfluous here. Just sayin'. :)

[TheSometimesWhy]

kooky,

you are well-named.

"my greatest hope" was a nod to something i hoped DFW died with--a recognition of achieving his life's work's objective.

i think it is a little kooky for you to assume what DFW's reaction to the "your own" scenario would be.

and fyi, my use of "your" implies ownership because i in fact do own it, and have a receipt to prove it.

and given the range of DFW's writing, i find it odd you would make judgments about what is and isn't superfluous.

need a hobby?

[KookyKosmos]

No hobby needed here, though I do find fun in this electronic discourse. But funny you ask this of me considering you've spared no haste in your replies.

Going on Wallace's exhaustive list of redundant and erroneous everyday language, I thought 'your own' would have earned a place on this list... as well as a few of my own, I'm sure. No immunity here. We are all butchers and shapers of our collective language, I think. See. 'Our collective'---I do it too.

Much Love, Mike.

Kooky

[dethbypapercuts]

R.I.P. sweet sweet david, i hope that you have found your peace that you could not find on this soulless and selfish earth.

[manginsinian]

Thank you so much for posting this.