Goodbye Cruel World!

Back on September 12th, one of the greatest writers I've ever read decided he'd had enough and decided to check out early at the age of 46. David Foster Wallace hanged himself on that date, a fate that if you've read the man's works, was not exactly shocking. Wallace wrote of despair and loneliness and frustration with an honesty I was not used to. Dark and cynical, yet funny and at times, hopeful.

I had first read David Foster Wallace's works back in 2000 when he wrote about John McCain's ill fated campaign for President in Rolling Stone. Now remember, the McCain of 2000 was not the man who is running now, and Wallace, though still suspicious and cynical of McCain, wrote many words of admiration for this so-called maverick. I agreed at the time with Wallace and became fascinated not only with McCain, but with the writer.

I read Infinite Jest, a really long 1000 page novel he wrote back in 1991 or so. I read Brief Interviews With Hideous Men, a series of short essays about fictional men of questionable character. Consider the Lobster had a wonderful essay about talk radio and how Americans are beginning to base their thinking on what some guy working for Clear Channel says.

Anyway, if you like satirists, curmudgeons, cynics and plain old cranks like James Wolcott, Tony Kornheiser, Mencken, Carlin and the like, David Foster Wallace may be for you.

I will miss the guy. But seriously ,dude, I understand the depression, I understand the need to say bye bye, but hanging yourself? Not too creative.