15th September: Saturnine Elegy – David Foster Wallace (February 21, 1962 – September 12, 2008)
David Foster Wallace hung himself on Friday. I am having issues with writing such a plain sentence regarding the death of such a circumlocutory character. I need more words – complicated, obscure words that delight the mind to read and the tongue to speak – but I can only think of simple ones like why*. I know DFW only through his words, with which he was generous. Infinite Jest will be what most people cling to, and it inspired and profoundly affected many of the people most dear to me, but I will look to his non-fiction especially the dizzying brilliance of “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again” and the frankly brave** “Consider the Lobster”. There is a melancholy current in his writing*** and the vestige of his depression is evident in both his essays and his stories, but no more than what you find in most brilliant, funny people.
I’m gutted. It’s the first time I’ve been able to use that very British word. I know what it means now – and it’s a good word, and one I really wish I didn’t have to use.
*And why do we have such small, seemingly insignificant words for the biggies – your loves and deaths and wars and whys and yeses and nos. Probably because they were the first concepts we thought about and needed to name – and by necessity became obtuse to spice up less interesting concepts to make them feel special.
**I don’t use that word lightly – but “CtL” was published in Gourmet and the responses were – um – let’s just say there were opinions and some more opinions^. Gourmet, under the brilliant leadership of Ruth Reichl, doesn’t shirk from controversy, but while everyone can kind of get behind the idea that battery cages aren’t the apex of conscientious animal husbandry, CtL asks questions meat eaters don’t necessarily want to be asked – especially in this bon vivant bible.
***Most people don’t hide in their rooms on seven-day Caribbean cruises.
^In fact, I recall that it was the most hotly debated article in the magazine’s history – besting even the great Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream controversy of January 2004 – no, trust me – it was heated.
And this link is posting lots of lovely tributes
And this bookshop in Berlin will be hosting a reading and general WTF-RIP-DFW night Wednesday, 17th September:
What seems tender and apposite w/r/t David Foster Wallace’s heart-rendingly sad suicide is an evening of short readings from his work. St. George’s bookshop will host this occasion on Wednesday 17 September at 2030h.
Saint Georges English Bookshop
Wörther Strasse 27 – Prenzlauer Berg – 10405 Berlin – 030 81 798 333
Mon-Fri 11AM-8PM – Sat 11AM-7PM
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