Reading 'Infinite Jest' was a humbling experience.

I had read some of the same theorists and philosophers Wallace read, I was pretty well-versed in post-modernism, I had written about David Lynch in college. But really, it’s interrogating the deep, abiding, terrifying loneliness and sadness that Americans feel and try to keep at bay by distracting themselves through entertainment -whether in the form of drugs or the consumption of media or things. On its surface, “Infinite Jest” is a caper about a Quebecois separatist trying to obtain a film so entertaining, anyone who views it loses the will to live. There are multiple story lines and many characters, told in non-linear chronology through multiple points of view. As Wallace warned in the commencement speech, “Worship your intellect, being seen as smart - you will end up feeling stupid.”ĭesperate to feel good about myself, I reached for “Infinite Jest.” I wanted to feel smart again, to conquer this behemoth of a book. I was not adjusting well to life outside the warm walls of Georgian architecture and without the validation of teachers and friends. And being extremely well-read in critical theory has almost no bearing on the essential work of journalism. I attempted to postpone this entry by spending a year in a master’s program for journalism.īut New York City, where I did my journalism year, does not care how smart you are, or what your credentials are. Like most sheltered people graduating from college, I was utterly terrified of entering the real world. The first DFW piece I read was the Kenyon commencement speech, which was making the rounds as I was preparing to graduate from college in 2011. Like most David Foster Wallace fans of a certain age, I only came to know his work after his death. Facebook Email This article is more than 7 years old.

Wallace infinite jest