Rethinking David Foster Wallace
Wonder Cabinet
Wonder Cabinet Productions
4.8 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 16 September 2023
⏱️ 53 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Fifteen years ago, David Foster Wallace died by his own hand. He was a celebrated writer, but he now faces renewed criticism over his treatment of women, in his life and his books. After years of adulation, Wallace has become a symbol of lit-bro culture, and he's now facing a moment of reckoning. So how should we read him today?
This week, we talk with Wallace fans and critics. Many still consider him the greatest voice of his generation — even as they grapple with new details about his life. We also hear from Wallace himself — including a notable conversation he had with us on the eve of his greatest literary success.
Original Air Date: September 08, 2018
Interviews In This Hour:
The Genius and The Misogynist — David Foster Wallace on 'Infinite Jest' — A podcast for readers struggling with the 'Virtuosic Masterpiece' of the 'Great American Hype Machine' — Our final conversation with David Foster Wallace — 'I can still hear his voice': Amy Wallace-Havens remembers her brother — Life and work in the mind of a literary giant
Guests:
Clare Hayes-Brady, Colleen Leahy, Makini Allwood, David Foster Wallace, Amy Wallace-Havens
Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast.
Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Fifteen years ago, David Foster Wallace died at a tragically young age. He was among the most |
| 0:11.7 | brilliant writers of his generation, and his work inspired an entire field of David Foster Wallace studies. |
| 0:18.7 | But in the wake of the Me Too era, his reputation has been called into question. |
| 0:23.7 | So how do we read him today? |
| 0:26.6 | I'm Anne Strange Champson. |
| 0:27.6 | In this episode of To the Best of Our Knowledge, we'll revisit David Foster Wallace, his life, |
| 0:33.1 | his work, his influence, and from our archives, his own words. |
| 0:38.6 | Everything is parodied and everything is ridiculous. |
| 0:41.7 | For my part, I can be steeped in about an hour of it, |
| 0:44.3 | and then I sort of have to walk away and look at a flower. |
| 0:47.8 | Join us. |
| 0:55.8 | Wisconsin Public Radio It's to the best of our knowledge from PRX. |
| 1:05.0 | I'm Anne Strange Champs. |
| 1:06.5 | How do you deal with a literary icon? |
| 1:11.7 | Someone like David Foster Wallace. |
| 1:16.8 | My first encounter with Wallace's work was in college. |
| 1:23.3 | This is Colleen Lehi. |
| 1:30.3 | Yeah. This is Colleen Lehi. I've signed up for a class that had Infinite Jest on the syllabus. |
| 1:35.3 | All I knew about Infinite Jest was that it's like, |
| 1:38.3 | oh, it's like this huge book and it's genius. |
| 1:40.3 | And like, if you want to be a well-read person, you read this book. |
| 1:43.3 | And I was like, okay, I want to be a well-read person, you read this book. And I was like, okay, I want to be a well-read person. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Wonder Cabinet Productions, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Wonder Cabinet Productions and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.