david foster wallace interview you've probably already read

[Spencer T. Campbell]

If I remember correctly, the state fair essay is the first he'd
written for Harper's, and one of the first he'd written at all on
commission.  I think it's easily his most trite (and pompous)
catalogue-of-sensory-delights-that-becomes-unexpectly-profound-style
essay.  It also lacks forward motion.  Did you try the other essays
and find them similarly trite and shitty?  If so, maybe I just have a
high tolerance for shit.  If not, I'd recommend giving the title essay
a try.  A sequel of sorts to the Fair essay (but set on a cruise ship,
LIKE THE SEQUEL TO SPEED), I think it's both smarter and deeper.

On 8/29/06, Keith McMullen <keithsz at mac.com> wrote:
> I was all excited when I saw that a fellow Illini had written a piece
> on the Illinois State Fair so I bought the collection of essays in
> which it was found and I tried so hard to like it but it really
> sucked. It was a true Pynchonian essay. Shitty and trite. And the
> Illinois State Fair is such a great subject for an essay. I haven't
> completely given up on Infinite jest but I'm pretty close. perhaps
> I'll give it another crack after I finish Blood Meridian which is
> truly satisfying. It is however making me think bad things whenever I
> bounce a baby on my knee.
>
> s~Z
>
> "No pop song or album has the
> ability to communicate the depth
> and scope of experience that a
> novel can communicate."
>
>                 --Author Unknown
>
>
>
>