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David Foster Wallace an Apparent Suicide
Posted by
kdawson
on Sun Sep 14, 2008 05:21 PM
from the hysterical-realism dept.
from the hysterical-realism dept.
snydeq passes along the news that David Foster Wallace was found dead Friday at his home in Claremont, California. Wallace's wife found her husband had hanged himself when she returned home at 9:30 PM Friday. The novelist, essayist, and humorist, best known for his 1996 novel Infinite Jest, was 46. Wallace had been awarded a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant" in 1997.
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Netcraft confirms it (Score:2, Funny)
I just heard some sad news on talk radio - David Foster Wallace was found dead in his Claremont home this morning. There weren't any more details. I'm sure everyone in the American community will miss him - even if you didn't enjoy his work, there's no denying his contributions to Society and true American patriotism. Truly an American icon.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
For those modding up, this is a copy of a Stephen King troll.
NAFTA (Score:3, Funny)
I've referred to NAFTA as "The Sin of O.N.A.N." ever since reading Infinite Jest.
I'm sorry to hear of his passing.
RIP David Foster Wallace (Score:4, Interesting)
I had the opportunity to meet David at a book signing. He was an incredibly gracious and friendly individual who will be missed by many in the literary field as well as everywhere else.
From the Harvey Mudd student list (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Infinite Jest one of the best books... (Score:3, Insightful)
Infinite Jest was an amazing book. Foster Wallace was an incredible writer. Very interesting and depressing. Time to read the jest again - ..
And with it, finally (Score:2)
The death of deconstruction and semiotics. Which is either terribly arch or exactly what it itself would have predicted.
A brief personal narrative (in the style of . . .) (Score:4, Informative)
(crossposted from Blacknell.net [blacknell.net])
Sad [latimes.com].1 David Foster Wallace2, along with perhaps only William Gibson, had a reader in me for everything he wrote. So dedicated was I to his Infinite Jest that I carried it in planes, trains, and autobuses over three continents.3 If you've never read any of his work, maybe you could start with this brilliant 2005 essay on political talk radio [theatlantic.com].4
1And I say sad in some weirdly personal sense that comes from both finding his writing deeply compelling in itself, and identifying his work with a period of time in my life which is not missed, but stands out as significant in recollection.
2David Foster Wallace (or DFW, as he is popularly known among fans) also provided (albeit completely unknowingly) some of the reason that Blacknell.net exists today. The blog that inspired me to start my own was written by an alumnus of the law school I had just started in. He, in turn, had been motivated to write online (in a format once known as an "online journal") while he read Infinite Jest (nb. This same author once had an essay published in the same collection [amazon.com] as DFW). An early autobiography of this online journal community is available here [diaryhistoryproject.com] (it is amusing to consider how much energy was expended on the subject of diary v. journal, only to have blog become the accepted appellation).
3 A massive tome of a book with 1200 pages of writing to be relished and consumed (in addition to being read) I took two years to complete it, taking it to Panama [flickr.com], Venezuela [flickr.com], and Britain [flickr.com]. I've since reread it (in sections, while it wasn't lent out).
4Even though it isn't entirely representative [signonsandiego.com].
(Ah, for want of a superscript tag . . .)
This sucks (Score:2, Interesting)
I think it sucks(1) that he(2) died.(3)(4) We (5) need more (6) like him.(7)(8)
(1)Here, literally, I'm, of course, speaking metaphorically. I don't mean it literally sucked (like, say, the 500 dollar an hour prostitute sucked the republican hypocrites shriveled cock), but rather figuratively sucked (like, say, the republican hypocrites bill to put you in jail for the same prostitution related behavior). Incidentally, by "it", I can't tell if I mean the whole universe or his dying or if those might not be
Let me be the first to say... (Score:3, Interesting)
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!
If you don't want to leap into "Infinite Jest," start with "Girl With Curious Hair."
a little personal irony (Score:2)
it's strange,
i was feeling a bit blue just a couple days ago, and was considering rereading IJ to cheer me up: it's a book which always puts things in perspective and makes me laugh, and i especially appreciate that it makes *me* feel smart and witty, as if DFW were loaning me a portion of his verve and charm for a while.
IJ is in my opinion the best novel in the english language,
and DFW's suicide at such a young age is a huge loss to literature.
my thoughts go out to his family, friends, students, and fans.
Footnotes (Score:2)
The description of footnotes in Infinite Jest reminds me of Wilson by David Mamet. Would Wilson be considered "in the style" of Infinite Jest?
He also wrote an excellent popular math book! (Score:5, Informative)
No slashdot discussion of DFW is completely without mentioning Everything and More. In addition to his fiction, he wrote an excellent non-fiction book about the history of mathematical infinity. Unlike most popular math books, it was interesting and not condescending. He clearly taught himself a good amount of Analysis in order to write so well on the subject. If any slashdotter wants to see what made this guy great, you'd do well to start there. Not only is it excellent writing, it's technically coherent and you'll likely learn something.
Appropriate here may be what he had to say about the popular story of Georg Cantor going insane trying to understand infinity (specifically the distinction between the infinity of integers, and the "larger" infinity of the real line):
"To lament Cantor's failure to describe infinity, is like feeling sorry that St. George lost to the Dragon. It is both wrong and insulting." (paraphrased)
Of course no one is lamenting DFW's failures per se, but I can't imagine many accomplished postmodern writers caring to get the grip on modern mathematics that DFW did. He didn't go for the low-hanging fruit, this guy.
Re:He also wrote an excellent popular math book! (Score:4, Informative)
Actually, the problem wasn't the distinction between these two infinities (he successfully and famously proved that with his diagonal argument) but rather whether there are any infinities in-between the infinity of the integers (aleph-0) and the infinity of the real line (the continuum, c). Specifically, he tried unsuccessfully to prove that the next higher infinity after aleph-0, called aleph-1, was equal to c.
As it turns out, this problem is unsolvable unless we assume it as an additional axiom of ZFC (Zermelo-Fraenkel with Choice) set theory, called the continuum hypothesis (CH), which states aleph-1=c. Goedel showed that is was OK to add CH to set theory without causing a contradiction (i.e. CH is consistent with the rest of ZFC set theory). That CH is independent, i.e. unprovable from the other axioms, was finally shown by Paul Cohen in 1963. He did this with a brilliant new technique he invented called "forcing", which became a stepping stone for a whole slew of amazing new discoveries about the "universe" of mind-bogglingly huge infinities that we mere mortals can barely even begin to grasp.
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Depression ? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Depression ? (Score:5, Insightful)
Exactly. Depression is a "weakness" as much as diabetes or cancer is.
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Re:Mod parent up! (Score:5, Insightful)
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Suicidal Hanging? (Score:3, Interesting)
If you want to kill yourself, fine, go right ahead. Your life, end it if you wish.
But why in the world would anyone commit suicide by hanging? There are plenty of other options to choose from. Especially when most suicidal hangings are done WRONG and end up taking loads more time to die than they had intended.
Don't do it. It's stupid. Pick something else.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Slip knot suspension is a little better than hanging, but both are better than suffocation, cutting, drowning in the tub, or overdosing because, with a strong rope and enough height, suspension or hanging better protect you from unconscious survival reflexes (whether it's tearing the bag open, not being able to cut under the veins, climbing out, or vomiting--all while unconscious). Carbon monoxide poising is on par with hanging because it is easy to not go far enough with both of those methods. The only bet
Consider the Lobster (Score:4, Informative)
If you like David Foster Wallace or would like to get a good idea of his style without diving headfirst into a novel, check out Consider the Lobster and Other Essays. It has the full range of his work, from literary criticism to a hilarious essay describing his trip to a porn convention and various rambling thoughts on pornography's relationship with "regular" society and art. There's some really great stuff in that.
RIP DFW.
I guess living is... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:With great genius comes great madness (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
it's well documented that great artists, writers, and people with other forms genius have a much higher incidence of mental disorders than the normal population.
generally speaking, creative/artistic individuals have a greater disposition for bipolarism. conversely, the children of mathematically gifted parents are more likely to develop autism or Asperger syndrome. that's why there's such a higher concentration of kids with Asperger syndrome in Silicon Valley.
Re:With great genius comes great madness (Score:5, Insightful)
Or, the parents in Silicon Valley tend to be wealthy enough to get their kids diagnosed with Asperger's, and medicated/trained into being "better" students... just a thought.
I'm suspicious of how well documented this link really is; let alone, that any evidence is totally observational. Of course the randomized study would be grossly immoral, even if it were possible.
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Re:With great genius comes great madness (Score:4, Informative)
here's a list [wikipedia.org] from Wikipedia that cites several sources. here [autism.com] is an article discussing the relationship between Autism/Asperger and genius. here [psychologytoday.com] is an article on Psychology Today that discusses a growing movement within academic circles that views autism and similar disorders as just part of the spectrum of neurodiversity that our society is comprised of. and if you do a search for "Geek Syndrome" you can find a Wired article that i believe may have been on Slashdot a few years ago. i also recall reading something a few years ago on PubMed that discussed the correlation between genius and mental disorder.
another interesting paper i read on PubMed also discussed the evolutionary advantage of Bipolarism. basically, the author(s) argued that while Bipolarism/Manic-Depression may present an evolutionary disadvantage to the individual, the genes have been perpetuated because it fosters altruistic actions which coincide with kin selection.
all of this makes a certain amount of sense to me. i've always felt that bipolarism endows an individual with greater capacity for emotional experience. this can be a beneficial trait to artists/musicians since good artwork is defined by its ability to evoke strong emotions, and, likewise, good artwork is often inspired by emotional trauma in the artist's life. but greater emotional depth can also enable one to better empathize with others, which could potentially lead to altruistic behavior.
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Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
This is a myth. For instance, Shakespeare was by most accounts a gregarious, sane and happy fellow.
Re:With great genius comes great madness (Score:4, Insightful)
"most accounts?" There's hardly any information about the person William Shakespeare.
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I prefer to think of it as tortured soul syndrome (Score:2, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
"'Nuff Said."
I doubt this person was mad, depressed perhaps, or overwhelmed by sadness. But insults are the retreat of the ignorant against men they don't know and who's thoughts they don't or cannot understand.
Is it too early... (Score:2)
... to start thinking about the casting for the "Infinite Jest - the movie"?
I mean... Angelina and Brad are not getting any younger...
P.S. Yes. I am joking. Dark humor and stuff like that.
Re:Very Very sad (Score:5, Insightful)
Parent
Re:Very Very sad (Score:5, Insightful)
Apparently you never had anyone close to you commit suicide and therefor cannot understand why I consider people who take suicide willingly complete egoistic and ungrateful morons.
Those who commit suicide because they are mentally ill (schizofrenic, and such) and do not know right from wrong are excluded from this definition as they cannot possible be blamed for this utterly stupid and ultimate egoistic act.
Okay Troll I'll bite.
As a survivor of having a close relative commit suicide I can easily say that by the time they commit the act they are already mentally ill.
In my experience it takes at least some serious mental instability to even consider suicide as an option.
Quick frankly you should be ashamed of yourself for holding the viewpoint you do. They failed and broke but know this - the people around them failed as well and many of us, myself included, will carry that failure to our graves with us.
And if I could find the bridge you live under I would drag you out into the sunlight with the rest of us and stake you out in it until you realize how important it is to help those around you.
'Scuse me now while I go shower to remove your nasty trollish smell from my presence.
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Re:Very Very sad (Score:5, Insightful)
You are judging the motives of suicides based on your own culture and ideals. Culturally and societally, there are reasons and causes for suicide that have nothing to do with mental instability historically and presently.
Personally, I view the act as an act of desperation, escape or destruction that can never be undone or repaired and should be avoided until absolutely all other options are explored and tested. There are times when I feel suicide may be appropriate, for example, in the case of the terminally ill. (My mother died of "natural causes" brought on by a degenerative nervous disorder and prayed for death and my own salvation for more than a year of unceasing misery before she finally died, choking to death in her sleep... presumably in her sleep... odds are good that she actually awoke while choking and dies of suffocation which I understand is actually rather painful.)
Suicide is a subject I have given a great deal of though and observation to. I find that suicides are too often unsuccessful, especially among women, and the chances of survival are too great. For this reason alone, suicide should be considered a very bad idea -- people just don't die the way they do in the movies. Hanging, for example, is a pretty horrible way to go -- you don't just magically die... and that death is ridiculously messy and disgusting.
There are a variety of other issues to concern one's self over and yes, some of them are rooted in family, society and culture. But generally speaking, people grow up within their own cultural ideals and beliefs. It is inappropriate to judge one culture, society or even an individual based specifically on your own ideals and beliefs. In it's own way, it is a form of prejudice as bad as any other.
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Re: (Score:3, Funny)
I lost some good friends to suicide and I myself tried to kill myself when my mental illness and stress in my life became too much for me to take anymore. Part of that was trolls on IWETHEY, Kuro5hin, etc telling me to go kill myself or the "shotgun mouthwash now!" comments. I even had coworkers and managers telling me to kill myself. This sort of abuse happens to mentally ill people, and in some mental states we actually do it or try to kill ourselves.
Once or twice I had to fake my suicide online via an al
Re:Very Very sad (Score:4, Informative)
The word "survivor" has different contexts, and you're using it in a popular but not exlusive one.
"Person X is survived by their wife and children," is used simply to mean that when person X died, their wife and children lived on. It doesn't mean they all faced some danger together.
It only means that people lived on.
In fact, dictionary.com has "to remain alive after the death of someone," as the first definition.
It's correct to say that the family of a suicide are survivors.
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Re:Very Very sad (Score:4, Funny)
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Re:Very Very sad (Score:5, Insightful)
Those who commit suicide are to blame for their actions
Blame? Whatever, we're not short on people, everybody should be allowed to kill them self. Only religious nut cases (i.e. the mis-informed) believe otherwise.
If you feel pity (for?) the deceased...
I'm so jealous, what could be easier?
Look dude, it's not your fault, you don't have to fight it so hard. They made their choice, you must let go, get on with your live, go and make your choices. You don't have to feel guilt for their death, you don't have project that guilt on to the deceased.
I see your pain, feel pity for you. I feel pity for you because you feel you deserve pity, and well that's kind of sad. I feel pity, because you feel so guilty about the death of your wife (this was your wife, right?), that you continue to blame her for your suffering longer after her last breath.
You must accept the the decision she made, not feel guilt, not feel a need to blame her. I get the feeling you lover her a lot, even if you're not the best husband in world.
Forgive you're wife, then forgive yourself. There is no point in wasting two lives over one death. Take care.
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Low self image& better world (Score:2)
You can't believe that the world would be better off with you dead - without giving yourself greater importance than EVERYTHING else in the world.
You are SO bad for the ENTIRE UNIVERSE that your death will cause a sigh of relief across the all of the existence.
Hell yeah suicidal people are egotistic!
They just express it differently than usually expected.
As for grateful... How about for being alive?
Yes. Its a pain and a constant struggle but sure beats the alternative.
Re: (Score:2)
How do you know that? The only people who can say for certain that that is the case are dead people--and they ain't talkin'.
Re:Low self image& better world (Score:4, Insightful)
You're arguing from a rational perspective here, but I don't believe people kill themselves while in a rational frame of mind. Instead it's an emotional choice, brought about either by events and an inability to deal with them, or a disorder that creates the belief that suicide is the only option.
Cool, rational debate isn't a feature of suicides.
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Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
> You can't believe that the world would be better off with you dead - without giving yourself greater importance than EVERYTHING else in the world.
You are SO bad for the ENTIRE UNIVERSE that your death will cause a sigh of relief across the all of the existence.
Huh? Just because you think the universe is better off without you doesn't mean you think you are the worst thing in existance. I think the universe would be better off without, lets say, hay fever. Does that in any way imply that I think hay fev
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Who read that as Stamford Wallace dead. I cheered. If you transform Spammers into non-humans, it is easy to cheer their demise.
Until I realised it was some guy I have never heard of. American Icon, true patriot? Maybe with his passing, you USians will need less of that.
He wrote a book that mostly makes fun of our dedication to corporatism and neo patriotism and all the things that have been wrong with our country in the past generation.
When they say 'true patriot' they mean the real one. Not a fox news patriot which are the worst kind.
Re:Good! (Score:5, Insightful)
Yet unlike you, he had the balls to sign his name to whatever he wrote.
Fuck off.
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Re: (Score:3, Informative)
You're not exactly showing a lot of bravery yourself, you cowardly little chickenshit punk. Identify yourself so I can beat your ass like you deserve - DO IT NOW!
Wow, I can find out who yourpusher is within two clicks of his comment. As opposed to 'strelitsa'... who is only known to us as "technical writer, rouge, dab hand with soldering iron".
This is, what, the pot calling the china black?
Re: (Score:2)
"No great genius has ever existed without some touch of madness." -- Aristotle
I try to refrain from responding to ACs, but this one needs clarification in my mind:
It is madness if it remains within your perception of reality, and Genius if it exceeds them, forcing you to re-evaluate your place/stance.
Re:Glamorizing suicide (Score:5, Insightful)
I would draw a clear and bright line between what you say about David Foster Wallace ("he took the coward's way out") and others' reactions ("fawning news coverage"). The second point, I totally agree with you on. The first, I vehemently disagree.
We don't know why DFW committed suicide, and we might neverk now. But in the vast majority of cases, "cowardice" isn't even a relevant concept. Depression -- real, deep depression -- is not just about being in a crappy mood. Real depression (and other kinds of serious mental illness) messes you up so deeply that up seems like down and you cannot make rational sense out of yourself or the world. To call someone a "coward" implies that were faced with a choice and, with faculties intact, made a weak decision. Like I said, not a relevant concept for suicide.
And for the exact same reason, all the tributes making this into some sort of penetrating existential act of a man who saw the world too clearly... please! DFW was a brilliant thinker and writer, but his death is a tragedy and a loss. It is not an artistic act.
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Re:Glamorizing suicide (Score:5, Insightful)
My uncle committed suicide a few weeks ago. All I'm going to relate is the position of his church implied by the words of the presiding priest. He used a quote (that I can't remember the attribution of) which went along the lines of, "When someone does this, it is no different than if they were set upon and murdered in the woods." My take on it was that the person had been overcome by some outside force. We don't have a problem who are physically overcome; we reserve our derision for people who are overcome mentally. Not very fair in light of the truth I learned in martial arts, which is that there is ALWAYS someone faster, stronger, or better trained than you. No matter how much we care to think nothing can overcome our will and clear thinking, it seems manifestly untrue in light of events like this.
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Re: (Score:3, Funny)