How to Remember What You Read
Why is it that some people seem to be able to read a book once and remember every detail of it for life, while others struggle to recall even the title a few days after putting down a book? The answer …
David Foster Wallace
3 Famous Writers on the Relationship Between Reading and Writing
During the Q&A for How to Read a Book, someone asked whether reading a lot makes us better writers. The short answer is yes. Reading and writing are two sides of the same coin. As Anne …
David Foster Wallace: The Mortality Paradox
David Foster Wallace, in an interview with Larry McCaffery, found in Conversations with David Foster Wallace, comments on our dread of both relationships and loneliness. It’s always tempting to …
David Foster Wallace on The Moral Clarity of the Immature
David Foster Wallace, who brought us gems such as This is Water and insights into ambition and perfectionism, was the guest editor of the 2007 edition of Best American Essays. His introduction …
The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz
Two years ago today, internet activist Aaron Swartz took his own life. At the time, Swartz was in the midst of being prosecuted for downloading academic journal articles. While 27 at the time of his …
David Foster Wallace: The Future of Writing In the Age of Information
David Foster Wallace remains both loved and hated. His wisdom shows itself in argumentative writing, ambition, and perfectionism, and perhaps one of the best, most profound, commencement addresses …
David Foster Wallace on Argumentative Writing and Nonfiction
In December 2004, Bryan A. Garner, who had already struck up a friendship with David Foster Wallace, started interviewing state and federal judges as well as a few key writers. With over a hundred …
David Foster Wallace: Five Common Word Usage Mistakes
I’m a big David Foster Wallace fan. His 2005 commencement speech will go down as one of the best ever. If you’re aware enough to give yourself a choice, you can choose to look differently …
David Foster Wallace: The Relationship Between Ambition and Perfectionism
“If your fidelity to perfectionism is too high, you never do anything.” — David Foster Wallace *** Conversations with David Foster Wallace is an essential look into the thinking of one of the great …
Conversations with David Foster Wallace
Five years ago today David Foster Wallace committed suicide. His May 21st, 2005 commencement speech to the graduating class of Kenyon college, This is Water, is one of greatest of all time. Offering a …
David Foster Wallace: The Paradox of Plagiarism
David Foster Wallace (1962–2008) remains one of the most revered authors of our time. His timeless collection of wisdom includes everything from his famous commencement speech This is Water to his …
The Best Book On The Art Of Writing
Last year, literary critic Joseph Epstein wrote The best book on the art of writing that I know is F. L. Lucas’ Style: The Art of Writing Well. At the time of Epstein’s comments, the book …
This is Water by David Foster Wallace (Full Transcript and Audio)
David Foster Wallace‘s 2005 commencement speech to the graduating class at Kenyon College, is a timeless trove of wisdom — right up there with Hunter Thompson on finding your purpose and living …
David Foster Wallace: SNOOTlet
David Foster Wallace in Consider the Lobster: A SNOOTlet is a little kid who’s wildly, precociously fluent in SWE—Standard Written English—(he is often, recall, the offspring of SNOOTs). Just …