Finding David Foster Wallace

One month after his untimely death, Rolling Stone just published an web-excerpt of a longer profile of the late David Foster Wallace–a touching piece by novelist and editor, David Lipsky.

The intimate story studies Wallace’s early days at college, including the period when he dropped out of school and worked as a bus driver. Lipsky interviews the Wallace’s father, roommate, and many others to create an inspiring and haunting portrait.

Here’s the moment when literature gained a powerful new voice:

“Wallace had talked about going into politics; [his roommate] recalls him joking, ‘No one is going to vote for somebody who’s been in a nuthouse.’ Having his life fall apart narrowed his sense of what his options were — and the possibilities that were left became more real to him. In a letter to Costello, he wrote, “I want to write books that people will read 100 years from now.”

(Via Gawker)

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