David Foster Wallace Tried to Warn Us About these Eight Things

 

 

"So this is a good time to revisit what Wallace tried to warn us about thirty years ago. He was ahead of his time in the worst possible way, experiencing firsthand all the debilitating symptoms that are now plague millions.

That’s why his writings feel so eerily contemporary. The read like commentaries on what’s happening right now.

Of course, Wallace knew very little about the Internet—he deliberately avoided it. He also refused to own a television. He understood how susceptible he was to screen addiction, and took drastic steps to reduce his exposure to all screens.

But he wrote about it—most tellingly in his huge novel Infinite Jest. The title refers to a film that is so addictive that people who watch it can’t stop. They literally watch it to death. It’s an infinite diversion, much like the endless scrolls on today’s social media apps.

He returned to the topic in his final book The Pale King, and also discussed it in interviews and essays. I’ve read through all of these including more than thirty interviews with the author. These allow me to put together a point-by-point summary of what Wallace tried to tell us.

We ignore his warnings at great risk."

read essay by TED GIOIA  

David Foster Wallace Tried to Warn Us About these Eight Things