Thursday, November 10, 2005
Recursive Footnotes
I am literallyhttp://www.slate.com/id/2129105/ reading my favorite book ever. I hope you have all experienced a piece of writing where it feels like the author is speaking directly to you. He/she is articulating the murky thoughts that percolate through you in a clear and clever manner. That used to be A Sand Country Almanac by Aldo Leopold. (I got to drive through the Sand Counties of Wisconsin on the way here which was very exciting). From splitting wood, to dancing woodcocks (they're birds, perv), to an overarching land ethic. This book is a winner. But who is content to find their favorite book at 15?
This current one is A Supposedly Fun Thing I Will Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace. http://www.thehowlingfantods.com/sup.htm I had read Infinite Jest previously. http://www.smallbytes.net/~bobkat/jesterlist.html In that, his authorly persona was that of overly-clever, self-involved jerk. It was an engaging book, but the author was someone who I did not want to meet. Each scene was written right to the point of debiliating boredom where I would put the book down in one more page, and then the scene would end.
This favored book is a piece of non-fiction with a broad scope which just happens to overlay perfectly wtih my own interests. Sports, movies, American Consumption, TV. It's fucking great. I go to be every night at 10. But I haven't been to sleep before 1am because I stay up reading. If only I liked papers about diving physiology so much.
When one declares one's favorite book to be by DFW, one shoulders an enormous cultural burden as hipster, elitist and general overeducated, under 30, anglo jerk. But I will wear whatever hairshirt necessary to join this order. It really is that good. I wish my speaking voice were his writing voice.
And I never miss a good opportunity to use "howling fantods" in conversation. With work, we could bring it to fixation in the population.
It should be noted that I never would have even known this book existed without springydog. She recommended it, as well as Inifite Jest, and generally serves as Clovers' official literary advisor.
This current one is A Supposedly Fun Thing I Will Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace. http://www.thehowlingfantods.com/sup.htm I had read Infinite Jest previously. http://www.smallbytes.net/~bobkat/jesterlist.html In that, his authorly persona was that of overly-clever, self-involved jerk. It was an engaging book, but the author was someone who I did not want to meet. Each scene was written right to the point of debiliating boredom where I would put the book down in one more page, and then the scene would end.
This favored book is a piece of non-fiction with a broad scope which just happens to overlay perfectly wtih my own interests. Sports, movies, American Consumption, TV. It's fucking great. I go to be every night at 10. But I haven't been to sleep before 1am because I stay up reading. If only I liked papers about diving physiology so much.
When one declares one's favorite book to be by DFW, one shoulders an enormous cultural burden as hipster, elitist and general overeducated, under 30, anglo jerk. But I will wear whatever hairshirt necessary to join this order. It really is that good. I wish my speaking voice were his writing voice.
And I never miss a good opportunity to use "howling fantods" in conversation. With work, we could bring it to fixation in the population.
It should be noted that I never would have even known this book existed without springydog. She recommended it, as well as Inifite Jest, and generally serves as Clovers' official literary advisor.
# posted by 8yearoldsdude @ 11:56 AM 
