What Would Wallace Think?

We had our first meeting of the semester with Carissa to read pieces of DFW and discuss them (the best day of the week at the office for the conference interns!). This week we read My Appearance  and  E. Unibus Pluram and we have lots of thoughts that revolved around "what would wallace think about this?"

We all know from his apparent writing about television that he recognized the addiction to it and how it shaped us socially in many aspects of life (positively or negatively). I made a quick recap so we can discuss other topics instead.

• Having a relationship without the risk of putting in an effort
• Keeping a personal human connection without having to make an emotional effort and reciprocate the connection
• Irony of what we are seeing and what they are saying (characters)
• The model of the "American family" or any other family and how they live, but not having that be the reality because the only American family are the ones on television

The funny thing about television is that it shows actors playing "regular" people, but their lives are so exciting that they do not watch television themselves. This does not portray a "regular" family in America then because studies have shown that the average American household watches 6+ hours of television a day. Well that television show would not be that interesting if we watched television of people watching television of people watching television… 

This brought about the topic of having an addiction to keeping an emotional relationship with a device that can provide you all that you would need out of human interaction without actually having to interact with a human. 

We are not going as far as the movie "Her" by falling in love with your device, but just about fulfilling social discourses through television instead of humans.

So… What would Wallace think of:

• Netflix?
• Social media?
• Fandom?
• Cell phones?
• Texting?

These new addictions are because television is no longer enough. They could be worse because Netflix, for example, does not end when the episode ends. There are infinite (insert pun here) amount of television and movies to watch at the tip of your fingers, and wallet. But the real issue here is that these addictions are worse than television. The website gives you 15 seconds to decide if you want to continue watching another episode, which of course the answer is YES. 

Social Media might be the worst of this list because we are projecting ourselves onto a medium where other people will view our lives in one of two ways: perfect or a disaster. Either way, it is just the appearance of who we are and how we are presenting ourselves to the social media world. 

If we only post positive aspects of our lives (which is what would be expected), people will think our lives are perfect and that theirs should be as well. But our lives are not perfect, we are just choosing to have a positive appearance of ourselves online, therefore portraying the wrong image of ourselves.

On the flip side of that, if we post EVERYTHING that happens to us online, people will either think that social media is the only way we communicate with people and are not sincere. Did it really happen if you don't post a picture? If we post negative parts of our lives, or even our opinions, people will think we are only complaining and cannot find the goods things in life. 

We are not trying to bring ourselves down in the dumps, but recognize through DFW's filter the negative addictions of our lives and how they affect us every day in small ways that could eventually be a big way. Which on that list will be the new television addiction of the next generation of writers… the one we grew up with and see it as a piece of furniture and a necessity instead of a luxury? 

I am sure you all are aware of how much DFW's work makes your brain spin and that it might not be a good choice to read at the end of the day before bed. My brain is still spinning even after writing this blog! 

Countdown to the Conference

THE CONFERENCE IS EXACTLY 18 WEEKS AWAY!

You may be thinking to yourself, the price is steep for a conference. BUT, let me tell you everything that this price includes:

• Round table on Wednesday, May 27th
• Full day conference with panels Thursday, May 28th and Friday, May 29th
• Writing Workshops on Saturday, May 30th
• Access to the book fair and vendors
• Access to the Silent Book Auction
• Day long coffee, tea, and water
• Hot lunch buffet (Friday)
• Afternoon snacks
• Keynote speaker (Stephen J. Burn)
• Raffles
• Give-a-ways
• International networking
• Steps away from Uptown Normal (Coffeehouse anyone?)
• As well as steps away from Stevenson Hall (DFW's office) 

Now, what is the writing workshops? 

The writing workshop is optional like the round table, but allows attendees to bring their personal pieces and have them critiqued by a vast array of writers from around the world. A professional and unbiased opinion to boost your writing skills. 

On the flip side, a chance to help other writers improve their writing skills and stories by offering advice on how to improve their personal pieces. This will give everyone a chance to network and talk outside of David Foster Wallace conversation on a more personal, yet professional, level. 

Depending on the budget, there is a potential of pizza being provided by the conference staff. 

Interested in talking to people who knew David Foster Wallace personally?

Come to Round table on May 27th! 

Plan your trip to the DFW Conference a day early because we will be having a round table on Wednesday, May 27th at Illinois State University where people who knew Wallace personally will be talking about him and his life.

Talk about life-action biography! 

In reality, the price is for a two day conference but the conference is almost four full days with round table and workshops. We want you to get the most bang for your buck! 

DFW Reading Conversations

The Soul is Not a Smithy

The very involved scenarios that the narrator imagines while he is in class are confusing in that it’s never clear whether he is in control of the storyline or if it is developing without his direct involvement.  He claims that filling each panel with a part of the story takes more concentration than actually paying attention in class, yet the story seems out of his control.  As he describes it, even he seems surprised by its dark nature.

A great quote that Callie liked was, "Obviously, this intense preoccupation was lethal in terms of my Listening Skills during second period Civics, in that it led my attention not merely to wander idly, but to actively construct whole linear, discretely organized narrative fantasies, many of which unfolded in considerable detail" (71).

He mentions, of course, the possibility that the events in the classroom were influencing the tone of his stories, which led us to a discussion about memory, and the way the most peripheral things can sometimes stick with us in the most detail.  

We discussed why the teacher went crazy (or so they believed) compared to the tedium the father felt at his career, and ended up focusing on what adults give up in life in order to provide what they need to for their families. The teacher was submerged in the tedium of life, could not handle it, and fell apart. This relentless tedium seems to correlate with the dreams the child has of his fear of adulthood.

Along those same lines, the narrator's father makes it very clear (through the boy's narration) that he does not like his career. It was interesting to think about the time period (the 50's?), during which most parents worked to provide for their families and their work was work. We agreed that it is both devastating that the father was in severe psychic pain, and incredibly brave that he sacrificed all he did for his family. He had a great amount of selflessness.

Sometimes the narrator forget the scenarios he creates on the window screen, while other days, they stay in his mind and pick up where they left off. It is interesting to note that the scenarios from the day he was held hostage in the classroom have stayed with him throughout his life. Within the same token, he remembers a specific flash-scene of the The Exorcist that his then girlfriend did not remember. They both walk out of the movie theatre in the afternoon sun and must face reality, recognizing that the movie (likewise, his storyboards) was not real. Even though it was just an imaginary world, it somehow correlates to life on the outside that the human soul makes a connection to and cannot forget the imaginative world because of it.

Good Old Neon
Right from the beginning, one of Wallace's favorite themes becomes very apparent: self-consciousness or how other people view you, and whether or not you are or can even hope to be genuine. Neil admits from the start that he is not genuine.

Neil makes many comparisons of his fraudulence:
1. "…as if I were constantly playing chess with everybody and figuring out that if I wanted them to move a certain way I had to move in such a way as to induce them to move that way" (146).
2. "It felt a little like looking at part of a puzzle you're doing and you've got a piece in your hand and you can't see where in the larger puzzle it's supposed to go or how to make it fit, looking at all the holes, and then all of a sudden in a flash you see, for no reason right then you could point to or explain to anyone, that if you turn the piece this one certain way it will fit, and it does, and maybe the best way to put it is that in that one tiny instant you feel suddenly connected to something larger and much more of the complete picture the same way the piece is" (149).

Almost as soon as you start talking about something it becomes less real; language is not innocent anymore and when we use it, we feel naive about how we are using it. There is no "good" way to communicate your thoughts/feelings to other people because they can never fully understand what is happening inside of your mind and soul. Words cannot live up to feelings.

There were a lot of the same themes in this story as we discovered in The Depressed Person (how to make real, sincere connections with others and be rid of crippling self-consciousness). But the ending of Good Old Neon was different; it was redemptive somehow, suggesting the temporary abandonment of a language that prevents our sincerity. It almost felt like it was saying, step back from your life, and just tell yourself to stop. Just be genuine. Even if that means being an asshole to your older sister while she is going through puberty. That is the only way to escape the it.

Weekly Readings-10/23

A week from today (October 23, 2015) we will be reading and discussing the following works:

"The Soul is Not a Smithy"
"Good Old Neon"
http://stanford.edu/~sdmiller/octo/files/GoodOldNeon.pdf
"Don't Like it? You Don't Have to Play"
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v26n22/wyatt-mason/dont-like-it-you-dont-have-to-play

Tweet at us, comment on our blog, comment on the Facebook page what your favorite parts are, your favorite quotes, or anything you want the world to know. We love discussing with other DFW fans.

Emily and I (Callie) are starting to read the pieces now in preparation for next week's meeting. We hope to talk to you guys soon!

DFW Interns

Registration Opens Soon!

Have some spare money before the holidays roll in?
Consider signing up for the David Foster Wallace Conference way in advance. There are so many advantages:

• Spend the money while you still have it before holidays in the winter and taxes in the spring approach
• It will be 100% ensured that you are going to the DFW Conference (Woo!)
• For the next week after, all the procrastinators in the world can register for $10 more. But space will fill up fast! Once we are at our maximum capacity, registration will close to the public and the chance of there being walk-up registration this year is slim. 
• The first 25 people to register will have the chance to win Remembering David Foster Wallace.

The DFW Memorial Book, Remembering David Foster Wallace, was made at Illinois State University after DFW's memorial service in 2008. It contains remembrances written by Wallace's colleagues, students, friends, and fellow authors. It is a beautiful, thoughtful, and deeply personal series of reflections on Wallace and his very tangible impact on so many lives. It is not available for purchase anywhere, but we will be GIVING AWAY a copy to the first 25 attendees to register.

Registration opens November 1 through May 1 for the low price of:

• $85 for students, unemployed, part time, adjunct, or retired
• $100 for NTT, AP, Publishing Professional, K-12 Teachers
• $125 for TT and Tenured Faculty.

Forgot what the price includes? Feel like the price is too high? Let us explain all the benefits of this (in hind sight) low fee:

• Book Fair
• Two days of panels
• Keynote Speakers
• Two days of coffee, tea, and water
• Hot lunch buffet
• Afternoon Snack
• Workshops on Saturday
• Silent Book Auction
• Free Giveaways (bookmarks, coffee mugs, etc.)
• Potential coupons to visit DFW's favorite places in Bloomington-Normal

We hope to see your name registered soon!

DFW Interns

Endless Cycles

Here are some notes, observations, and connections that we (Carissa, Emily and Callie) made during our bi-monthly meeting where we discuss DFW's work.

"The Depressed Person"
The Depressed Person has a risk free relationship with her therapist because she pays her(the therapist) to listen to her (the depressed person) problems. [Like my inserted clarifications there? Wallace inspires me.] Her relationships are strange to say the least with everyone around her and all seem to be one-sided.
The parents.
The therapists.
The support group.

She only speaks about how her parent's divorce hurt her, but never once talked about where her parents are at in their lives now.

She realizes only after her therapist died that she knew virtually nothing about her, while the therapist knew everything there was to know about the depressed person.

Her support group, and specifically her closest friend in her support group, listen to her talk about her feelings and depression but never once reciprocate the conversation. For crying out loud, her dearest friend has a terminal illness and she does not ask (to our knowledge) how she is doing.

It is frustrating as a reader that the depressed person cannot get far enough outside of herself to recognize that her best friend is also suffering, perhaps more than she is. She is used to having a one-way relationship that she pays for (the therapist) that she does not know how to have a giving relationship and therefore cannot be a true friend to her terminally ill friend.

DFW sets up the depressed person to make us empathize with her, but at the same time we want to shake her out of her depression because things could be much worse. It feels like we are the friend on the phone that is trying to find a good place to let her know we have to leave and get on with our busy lives. Though, since we are reading the story through her extreme lens of self- consciousness, we never know if the friends are actually there for her and are indeed great friends, or if they really are as she is seeing them.

The depressed person goes through the motions of life, writing in her feeling journals, saying she does not blame her parents when she clearly does, expressing herself to her support group- but does she actually feel anything other than her own self-consciousness? Unlike recovering addicts (which we discussed are equivalent to depressed people in their addictions to something that is harmful to them) of Infinite Jest, she does not put herself into the work. She does not separate her mind and body, she does not recognize her intellectual issues as a part of the problem.

Silverblatt Interview

Michael Silverblatt makes some very astute observations, the first on the idea of Infinite Jest existing in series of fractals, the idea that the book is something that must be pieced together.  It truly reflects the way we live now, overwhelmed with unrelated pieces of data that we must string together and find meaning in.  As Silverblatt aptly noted, the structure of the book is not difficulty for difficulty’s sake, but reflects how hard it is to be a human.

Wallace seems to suggest that he didn't intentionally structure it in fractals, or even totally realize the book's structure until editor Michael Pietsch compared it to glass being dropped from a great height.  But we wondered just how much you can trust any author on the subject of intentions and what was pre-planned for their fiction... Wallace especially.  There is clearly nothing in Infinite Jest that is there by accident, a realization he appreciates from readers.  So which is it?  Designed purposefully, or accidentally arising as a reflection of our fragmented contemporary lives?

For now, we were content to imagine it as a little of both.

First Chapter of Infinite Jest

There is so much going on in Hal’s mind in this first chapter that it is hard to piece together the story.  Thoughts and observations are constantly thrown in (“This is not working out.  It strikes me that EXIT signs would look to a native speaker of Latin like red-lit signs that say HE LEAVES.” p. 8) that we can’t quite understand within the context.  It is so genius and crucial that this first chapter is narrated in first person.  It is both a privilege and a sad burden to know all the thoughts in Hal’s head while he is helpless to express them.

(Emily's notes end here... she and Carissa got rather off topic talking about the rest of IJ because Carissa had just finished it.  We were absolutely all over the place.  We talked a lot about how you can make so many connections within the book by reading and re-reading and re-reading, but where does that get you?  It won’t get you a resolution, and by obsessing you are participating in that endless cycle that the Entertainment was created to avoid, but instead intensified.)

We want to know what you think.  Comment below!

Good Morning!

On Thursday, October 9, 2014 we will be reading pieces of David Foster Wallace.

Want to read along with us? Have any comments? Any favorite quotes from these specific pieces?

Comment on here!

Excerpt from Infinite Jest

http://www.npr.org/books/titles/137995201/infinite-jest#excerpt

"The Depressed Person"

http://harpers.org/wp-content/uploads/HarpersMagazine-1998-01-0059425.pdf

Interview with DFW by Michael Silverblatt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKCMTHX5WHk