Maria Bustillos' must-read essay on David Foster Wallace's private self-help library can be found at The Awl. Wallace took his own life in 2008 and his papers and books are now held at the University of Texas Harry Ransom Center. Apparently he had an extensive collection of self-help literature highlighted, annotated, and now available to researchers. Bustillo unpacks the connections between Foster's self-help reading, his family, and his extraordinary prose. Self-help books didn't help to save his life, but these copies do leave a window onto its all-too-short expanse. Rest in peace, DFW.
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Maria Bustillos Uncovers David Foster Wallace's Self-Help Library
Maria Bustillos' must-read essay on David Foster Wallace's private self-help library can be found at The Awl. Wallace took his own life in 2008 and his papers and books are now held at the University of Texas Harry Ransom Center. Apparently he had an extensive collection of self-help literature highlighted, annotated, and now available to researchers. Bustillo unpacks the connections between Foster's self-help reading, his family, and his extraordinary prose. Self-help books didn't help to save his life, but these copies do leave a window onto its all-too-short expanse. Rest in peace, DFW.
