I got a few stories in to Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, and they were great - funny, well written, incredibly insightful. But the insights we dark and depressing. I found myself thinking "Yeah, I can see why he ended up killing himself, I probably would too if my brain worked this way." Maybe, despite the title, they got less dark, but it almost felt like an infohazard to me so I stopped. I prefer George Saunders' short stories as something in a similar vein but more optimistic.
It sounds like Infinite Jest might have some more optimism, so yeah I plan to give it a try sometime.
The Depressed Person is brutal. If you want something uplifting, check out "Something To Do With Paying Attention." Very short, could be read in a day or two.
Gately is absolutely the highlight, as least for me. His self-reflections on mental state are the most heartfelt of a long list of pretty wonderfully worded, profound, and/or hilarious insights on existence. The book really did get dragged through the mud in later decades. But it’s a tour de force of watching a writer self reflect on the act of writing, in the midst of that writing, illustrated by characters simultaneously observing their own being, in stunned realization.
I was a business major at a middling school who thought I could pick up Infinite Jest as some aspirational short cut to being cultured or literary or something just less basic. Obviously only got 80 pages in with this backdrop but this was during my 20s. I think I could attempt again now at 42 with more patience and context. I didn't exactly start life on third base, culturally.
I hope this isn't a big "no no" to mention in DFW circles but The End of The Tour with Jason Segal playing DFW is one of my favorite movies. I'm not a movie buff by any means but my simplistic take is that it's strangely one of the most touching and approachable representations of platonic male intimacy that I've seen in book or movie form. I'll add a strong asterisk to that take and exclude any war time movies or literature from that bucket as those are extreme circumstances. Partly it's just that they are two writers hanging out - so they could go deep on things quickly without it being unexpectedly emotional or "gay" I guess (I grew up in the 90s so pls forgive my neanderthal dude reflexes here). The part where they go to the convenience store and just load up on a bunch of Pepsis and candy and snacks like 5th graders particularly stands out for me as the "fun" and "art of the hang" that gets lost after 10th grade when getting laid or just drunk begins to crowd out almost everything else. I don't love him in most other movies but Jason Segal as DFW seems believable somehow.
And real quick, I do actually have a *cringe* "reading Infinite Jest in public" story. During that time when I was posturing as a *big reader* and was starting Infinite Jest on a ferry to some island in Maine, some random Gen X dude approached me super earnestly and was like, "I was DFW's college roommate..." He obviously approached wanting to get into the book and have this back and forth and I was just like "uhhh...I'm the biggest poser to ever pick up this book in its history and have no thoughts..."...just a bit awkward for both of us...so I guess it's true what the takesters says about this book: strong caution should be taken before reading it in public (although that's the way I feel about most of my literature).
Phenomenal movie. What’s even crazier is that the script is basically lifted directly from Lipsky’s interview transcript, so Wallace unknowingly co-wrote half of it off the top of his head. This is mindblowing when you think about some of the gems he drops in there.
Oh yeah didn't totally sink in that there was a real transcript backing up that movie. Adds some credibility for sure. I'm trying to think of other movies that are good with just like two smart dudes having a conversation and the only thing coming to mind is "The Two Popes" on Netflix (haha)...super random...
The Simpsons episode "Moe'N'a Lisa" (Season 18, Episode 6, 2006) - had to Google that - was a funny depiction of writers hanging out together or basically being dicks to one another. I would watch a real life non-cartoon version of that same setting (a literary conference in Vermont) if they made a movie depicting it.
I keep being reminded that I haven't yet read this, even though I'm sure I wouldlove it...
Read the Ken Erdedy chapter at least! Not a bad way to spend 15 minutes in a bookstore.
I got a few stories in to Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, and they were great - funny, well written, incredibly insightful. But the insights we dark and depressing. I found myself thinking "Yeah, I can see why he ended up killing himself, I probably would too if my brain worked this way." Maybe, despite the title, they got less dark, but it almost felt like an infohazard to me so I stopped. I prefer George Saunders' short stories as something in a similar vein but more optimistic.
It sounds like Infinite Jest might have some more optimism, so yeah I plan to give it a try sometime.
The Depressed Person is brutal. If you want something uplifting, check out "Something To Do With Paying Attention." Very short, could be read in a day or two.
Ok will do thanks
Gately is absolutely the highlight, as least for me. His self-reflections on mental state are the most heartfelt of a long list of pretty wonderfully worded, profound, and/or hilarious insights on existence. The book really did get dragged through the mud in later decades. But it’s a tour de force of watching a writer self reflect on the act of writing, in the midst of that writing, illustrated by characters simultaneously observing their own being, in stunned realization.
There’s so many great moments in there, I know I left a ton out. I never even got to Kate Gompert!
Thank you Peter. This is the most convincing thing I’ve ever read or heard on why one should read this book. Appreciate this.
I was a business major at a middling school who thought I could pick up Infinite Jest as some aspirational short cut to being cultured or literary or something just less basic. Obviously only got 80 pages in with this backdrop but this was during my 20s. I think I could attempt again now at 42 with more patience and context. I didn't exactly start life on third base, culturally.
I hope this isn't a big "no no" to mention in DFW circles but The End of The Tour with Jason Segal playing DFW is one of my favorite movies. I'm not a movie buff by any means but my simplistic take is that it's strangely one of the most touching and approachable representations of platonic male intimacy that I've seen in book or movie form. I'll add a strong asterisk to that take and exclude any war time movies or literature from that bucket as those are extreme circumstances. Partly it's just that they are two writers hanging out - so they could go deep on things quickly without it being unexpectedly emotional or "gay" I guess (I grew up in the 90s so pls forgive my neanderthal dude reflexes here). The part where they go to the convenience store and just load up on a bunch of Pepsis and candy and snacks like 5th graders particularly stands out for me as the "fun" and "art of the hang" that gets lost after 10th grade when getting laid or just drunk begins to crowd out almost everything else. I don't love him in most other movies but Jason Segal as DFW seems believable somehow.
And real quick, I do actually have a *cringe* "reading Infinite Jest in public" story. During that time when I was posturing as a *big reader* and was starting Infinite Jest on a ferry to some island in Maine, some random Gen X dude approached me super earnestly and was like, "I was DFW's college roommate..." He obviously approached wanting to get into the book and have this back and forth and I was just like "uhhh...I'm the biggest poser to ever pick up this book in its history and have no thoughts..."...just a bit awkward for both of us...so I guess it's true what the takesters says about this book: strong caution should be taken before reading it in public (although that's the way I feel about most of my literature).
Phenomenal movie. What’s even crazier is that the script is basically lifted directly from Lipsky’s interview transcript, so Wallace unknowingly co-wrote half of it off the top of his head. This is mindblowing when you think about some of the gems he drops in there.
Oh yeah didn't totally sink in that there was a real transcript backing up that movie. Adds some credibility for sure. I'm trying to think of other movies that are good with just like two smart dudes having a conversation and the only thing coming to mind is "The Two Popes" on Netflix (haha)...super random...
The Simpsons episode "Moe'N'a Lisa" (Season 18, Episode 6, 2006) - had to Google that - was a funny depiction of writers hanging out together or basically being dicks to one another. I would watch a real life non-cartoon version of that same setting (a literary conference in Vermont) if they made a movie depicting it.
Check out My Dinner with Andre
Great movie!
You should have written “It was the one loss that eliminated his map.” But the rest of it is great.
Big missed opportunity.