Category: Read and Re-read
In the first post in this series, I recommended David Foster Wallace – the man who introduced David Foster Wallace’s work to me is Tim Kreider, who I know through his cutting and brilliant comic career. Of late he has turned his attention to cultural and political commentary and he is, naturally, killing it.
One of my favorites of his work is a piece called The Busy Trap, which if you are a person who works in the United States today, you should read. And, once in a while, read again.
In chatting tonight with The Doctor, we both remarked on a number of essays or articles or other pieces of wordsmithery that we found rewarding to go back and read again, in a different time, for a different sort of reward. I’m going to go ahead and share those works here, when they arise, and when they seem especially important to my life or to events that involve us all.
Or, maybe, for no reason whatsoever.
The first is an essay that I first read thanks to Tim Kreider, about the way we think. I’ve since given it to anyone who will have it, including over one hundred philosophy students at CCRI (who I guess technically I was forcing to read it). What can I say about David Foster Wallace that hasn’t been said?
Whether you know him or not, you should read This Is Water, especially in times where it feels like negativity is starting to outpace positivity in your brainpan. It’s a graduation speech, and it’s worth reading, and re-reading.
Simon Ouderkirk 