2002/3 David Foster Wallace interview

[John B.]

Taped for a program on German television, this is the first of 10 parts (the whole thing is an hour and a half long):



The other segments are here. Watch all of it if you can. His humanity is on full display here.

[consider us dead]

Cheers for posting this, it has inspired me to re-read IJ starting today. It never ceases to amaze me that a man of his vast intellect and compassion could be so self effacing

[John B.]

It never ceases to amaze me that a man of his vast intellect and compassion could be so self effacing

Yes. If not for the compassion, he wouldn't/couldn't have been self-effacing. Or vice versa.

It would have been unbearable for me to have watched this a year ago. (Full disclosure: DFW and I are almost exact contemporaries.) Now, though, it made me glad that he was alive and was willing to write and talk about these things.

[heartbreak]

It's interesting how being contemporary with someone heightens your awareness of them. I recently found out I am the same age as one of my PHD professors. On one hand it bums me out a bit, feel like I'm behind, on the other hand he has lost almost all respect of a majority of the class and he easily loses control of them. To many empty threats. I still have respect for him, he knows his stuff, and other than the control issue, teaches it pretty well and definitely give him props for being able to get up and talk in front of 180 students. In the end I feel like I'm stuck in some kind of strange void, bordering disdain for my disrespectful classmates and both respect and frustration for and with the professor.

I guess as Cooper would say, I'm stuck somewhere between high school and old school.

Thanks for posting the DFW interview. I'm looking forward to watching it once finals are over, and happy belated birthday. Sorry I missed posting on the day.

[Bonemaster3000]

To many empty threats. I still have respect for him, he knows his stuff, and other than the control issue, teaches it pretty well and definitely give him props for being able to get up and talk in front of 180 students. In the end I feel like I'm stuck in some kind of strange void, bordering disdain for my disrespectful classmates and both respect and frustration for and with the professor.

I guess as Cooper would say, I'm stuck somewhere between high school and old school.

Thanks for posting the DFW interview. I'm looking forward to watching it once finals are over, and happy belated birthday. Sorry I missed posting on the day.

Yeah, props is cool. It's definitely good to give props where props is due.

KILL THE INFIDELS!!!!

www.myspace.com/pynchonward

P.S Who is 'many empty threats?' You appeared to address this anti-prop to him.

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