IJ Yorick and cyanide

[ChrisO at fieldschool.com]

Date	3/19/96
Subject	IJ Yorick and cyanide
From	ChrisO
To	pynchon list

IJ Yorick and cyanide

"Alas! poor Yorick.  I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite 
jest, of most excellent fancy; he hath borne me on his back a thousand 
times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rises at it."

One of Wallace's hints at this source is the name of Himself's production 
company: Poor Yorick Entertainment Unlimited.  And this brings up the 
scene's classic staging, with Hamlet addressing Yorick's skull: the 
movement of knowledge or intellect or speech from an animate thing 
(Hamlet/the film cartridge "Infinite Jest") to a recently unanimated 
thing (Yorick's head/the viewer of "Infinite Jest")


Don't remember who said this (Paul Mackin?) but it refers back to one of my
favorite saws too - might have written in a few weeks ago. rememberance of
hilarity in the presence of death (to wit: yorick skull et al) matches
entertainment cartridge that brings death. Also resonates with the bit @430
where an entire family dies horribly while trying to perform CPR on son who
suicided with cyanide Quik - QUIK, fer chrissakes! Ha ha ha!

Also: heard rumors that DFW was instiutionalized. Certainly don't want to open
an old wound for him (because I really sort of assume he's lurking with us) but
I'd be interested to know anything from anyone.

chris o.