January 8th, 2009 / 2:04 pm
Random
DFW Syllabus

You know a man is great when even his syllabus is a work of art.

Also included in the other pages (of which there are many): a wonderful reading list. At the height of my obsession, I made it policy to read every book DFW blurbed, reviewed, or mentioned in passing during interviews (including things like Brautigan’s ‘In Watermelon Sugar’ and Renata Adler’s ‘Speedboat’). I can’t remember him being off even once. Said compilation forthcoming.
Tags: david foster wallace, dfw syllabus





I didn’t know DFW was a fan of “In Watermelon Sugar.” it’s one of my favorite novels.
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‘in watermelon sugar’ is a neat little package. i was just thinking about it the other day, and how it seems like a proto-text to some of the other types of texts i see emerging in the current scene.
looking forward to said compilation.
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in watermelon sugar is in my top three of all time i think.
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yeah, he taught it in one of his advanced fiction classes, the whole reading list was really awesome
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I love how uptight he was about grammar. He would have been a very good teacher for me. Looking forward to his reading list-
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i really enjoyed this
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And not just In Watermelon Sugar, there is a ton of genius through Brautigan. How about even just this title: The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster?
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Are you kidding me? I’ve give maybe three limbs or at least a set of toes to sit in on class the day they discussed Barth’s “Lost in the Funhouse.” I’d be the nerd in the back of the room with his hand raised the whole time.
Really great find. I’m stealing probably all of it.
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Look forward to the compilation.
Brautigan: Great.
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gj bb
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I’m ashamed at the inferiority of my syllabuses (syllabi?). From now on I’m going to put more thought into the creation of my syllabuses (syllabi?).
Also, to second Michael (there’s a lot of genius in Brautigan) – I would point to Dreaming of Babylon & Willard and his Bowling Trophies.
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I am surprised that he ended a sentence in a preposition.
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