David Foster Wallace
 

How shameful is it that I had never heard of him before he died?

Blame BYU.

Pretty shameful. Start with his nonfiction work; I think it's much better than his fiction.

They say he's like Joyce. I hate Joyce. I will pass.

I heard that he's done some good non-fiction magazine articles.

That's why I said start with his non-fiction work; and I'd probably end there too. Infinite Jest was just that for me.

He's dead??? That sucks. I missed that event with the hurricane and all.

I happen to be reading his short stories collection called Oblivion right now. And I really liked Consider the Lobster, too. I highly recommend that.

WHen he says "consider the lobster" is that, like, "instead of the steak?"

No, it's in part about the ethics of boiling a lobster alive because lobsters actually have a fairly well-developed sense of pain -- that's what I remember from it anyway.

New Yorker had a short piece on him. I'm decently aware of culture. I'm surprised he was under my radar.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2...?currentPage=1

Article on Wallace in latest New Yorker, chronicling his life, his work, his demons, his unfinished novel.