David Foster Wallace on Drugs and Entertainment in Infinite Jest

Edited version of the ZDFmediatek 2003 interview with David Foster Wallace. This version offers David Foster Wallace's ideas, without repetitions, long pauses, interviewer's comments. Although some cuts may appear rough, there is no attempt at editorial bias or content manipulation. Mr. Wallace's archives (books in his library, notes, and writings) have been recently acquired by the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas Austin.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• David
• Foster
• Wallace

[8644371]

This fucker! Why'd he have to kill himself?!

[Artzineonline]

@8644371 "Wallace suffered for most of his adult life from depression and anxiety, and in the last year of his life, when he tried to go off his medication, he succumbed to "a cancer of the soul," said his sister, Amy Wallace Havens." --The Guardian, UK

[8644371]

@Artzineonline Suicide is so pretentious.

[Artzineonline]

@8644371 'Pretentious' as defined: "create a false appearance of great importance or worth; the consequence of being pompous and puffed up with vanity," doesn't seem to apply to Wallace, I believe.

[imoogi2]

when was this interview done?

[Artzineonline]

@imoogi2  2003

[lixiaofun]

"Most of the problems in my life have to do with my confusing what I want with what I need."

[MasonClark93]

He is absolutely right when he says that "drugs and entertainment is escape, yes? From my problems and my life." Both mediums of life experience are just entirely superficial and real can separate a person from their reality into this world of happiness that lacks the real desperation of their own life. Wallace was just absolutely brilliant.

[BloggerMusicMan]

@PatrickWhite1985

Ah ok. I think we say things we don't mean at some point.

I've also read many of the short stories from Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, as well as the first 230 pages of Infinite Jest, and many of his essays (some from Consider The Lobster, some from the New York Times, etc). I'd agree with the hardness level of Infinite Jest at least (I don't find BIWHM hard), but reading through things multiple times can be very fulfilling when you find things out.

[garbledstoic]

Every time I watch this I think what a waste any suicide is. I also wonder how little we know about what truly makes us happy, or even if happiness is simply illusion. DFW seems to be saying that we are confused about this because that confusion is a source of wealth for certain elements in our society. I don't know if I agree totally with him. I do know that "freedom" is twisted to advocate all sorts of activities that are inherently bad for us, both physically and mentally.

[PatrickWhite1985]

@BloggerMusicMan Fair enough; I think I wrote that comment in a bad mood, I don't find him so annoying anymore.

I have a copy of Infinite Jest on my shelf and I am currently working my way through brief interview with hideous men...so far it is very good, although each story seems to require two or three readings before I feel like I have any type of understanding of it.

Have you read any of his stuff.

[BloggerMusicMan]

@PatrickWhite1985

Not really, although I think he's a better writer than speaker. But each to his own.

What do you think of him as an authour, if you've read anything he's written?

[Nothing2Nothing90]

21st century myth that weed is fine and danty

[LukaszPrzek]

idk what to worship in my life :(

[oldoddjobs]

@Anxiousloth I agree that capitalist logic is the logic of desire, as it's an economic system based on voluntary, free trade between individuals. Look, say I'm going camping - I buy a sleeping bag and a tent. Does this make me happy? Of course, it satisfies my desires and I can have a pleasant night of star-gazing or whatever. Does it make me happy like a song or a sonnet or seeing drops of dew on the nose of a fawn? No. The trouble is, we are not floating brains. We are haunted meat.

[oldoddjobs]

@Anxiousloth Profit is an expression of human desire. Coca-cola makes money because millions of people everyday decide they want one. I am all for the satisfaction of people's desires, so long as their satisfaction does not impinge on mine. That is, if you like, the signature philosophy of the western world. I heartily approve and would love to see more of it in action.

[oldoddjobs]

@Anxiousloth If you define happy as "something no amount of money could ever give me", then yes of course winning the lottery wouldn't make you happy! Do you see the problem? If I offer you tomorrow's winning ticket, you'd take it. You'd prefer to have that money. You could give it to worthy causes, give it to the needy - surely that would make you happy? Virtue is its own reward. I do not believe that money is the "root of all evil", I believe that mankind is. Humans ruining it for everyone.