September 14th, 2010 / 11:42 am
Behind the Scenes
Blake Butler
Behind the Scenes
David Foster Wallace Archives
The Wallace archives open today at the Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Included are more than 100 books he owned, often annotated, and other papers, such as this handwritten draft of the first page of Infinite Jest:
I still feel slightly conflicted over the whole nature of archives, and particularly certain natures of ones, but regardless, there probably haven’t been many days in the last eight to ten years that Wallace hasn’t somehow crossed my mind. Today should be no exception.
Tags: David Foster Wallace archives, Infinite Jest
I’m glad it exists but probably don’t need to ever look at it.
I’m glad it exists but probably don’t need to ever look at it.
Webcast of the event at the Ransom Center at 7PM today:
http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/multimedia/webcast/
Webcast of the event at the Ransom Center at 7PM today:
http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/multimedia/webcast/
Can you explain your conflict over the nature of archives? You’ve mentioned it here before and I really don’t get it.
this conversation went down last week or so, and i don’t really want to dig it up again, but in a nutshell: i’m not sure that marginalia should always be exhibited, especially with someone who killed themselves, and maybe wasn’t in the mind of laying vision over what would happen to his stuff when he was gone. it also seems really early, in relation. that’s speculation though. i am also a voyeur. in this instance, it just feels more emotional to me than with other bodies, so i can’t quite bring myself to be the usual processorbox i am. i just am not sure. regardless, it exists, and there it is. one day i imagine i would like to see it, since it is.
some examples of his annotated books here: http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/authors/david_foster_wallace_archive_open_for_research_173516.asp
I’m glad it exists but probably don’t need to ever look at it.
Webcast of the event at the Ransom Center at 7PM today:
http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/multimedia/webcast/
but you know he had heart, amirite?
no, seriously, it’s a little creepy. i feel less creeped that it’s not personal belongings and missives, but something about DFW’s seemingly meticulous nature w/ the way he set aside the final draft of PALE KING makes me think maybe he made mention of what to do w/ his belongings?? who knows.
i also feel like, this is all speculation, if it were so against DFW’s nature to want the draft forms to get out there, someone other than the heads of his estate would say some shit, pietsch, his agent, somebody. not sure. anyway, i’ll give them a look one day when i get back to austin.
Can you explain your conflict over the nature of archives? You’ve mentioned it here before and I really don’t get it.
gah, i can’t handle this. i dream about the guy.
what happened to attics and buried boxes and defiant wives and burning drafts and don’t show this to anyone? is this what it’s like to die in the digital age? do we eat death like chips?
this conversation went down last week or so, and i don’t really want to dig it up again, but in a nutshell: i’m not sure that marginalia should always be exhibited, especially with someone who killed themselves, and maybe wasn’t in the mind of laying vision over what would happen to his stuff when he was gone. it also seems really early, in relation. that’s speculation though. i am also a voyeur. in this instance, it just feels more emotional to me than with other bodies, so i can’t quite bring myself to be the usual processorbox i am. i just am not sure. regardless, it exists, and there it is. one day i imagine i would like to see it, since it is.
I could probably be really, magnetically happy in his archives for a day or two.
Oh, sorry to bring it up again. I guess I felt like I wasn’t getting your point last week. Yeah, I can understand your feeling protective in this case.
Personally, I think there’s a big difference between opening an archive and publishing posthumous material.
I also think people generally understand the nature of working materials. No one is going to judge anyone’s work on the basis of a weak first draft.
You should check out Dennis Cooper’s archive at NYU some time. There’s nothing like holding the manuscript of “Closer” in your hands.
that’s a great suggestion. i need to get there.
i like lorian
dfw stan
some examples of his annotated books here: http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/authors/david_foster_wallace_archive_open_for_research_173516.asp
but you know he had heart, amirite?
no, seriously, it’s a little creepy. i feel less creeped that it’s not personal belongings and missives, but something about DFW’s seemingly meticulous nature w/ the way he set aside the final draft of PALE KING makes me think maybe he made mention of what to do w/ his belongings?? who knows.
i also feel like, this is all speculation, if it were so against DFW’s nature to want the draft forms to get out there, someone other than the heads of his estate would say some shit, pietsch, his agent, somebody. not sure. anyway, i’ll give them a look one day when i get back to austin.
gah, i can’t handle this. i dream about the guy.
what happened to attics and buried boxes and defiant wives and burning drafts and don’t show this to anyone? is this what it’s like to die in the digital age? do we eat death like chips?
Blake & others, you’d get something out of the archives at Harvard’s Houghton Library. These include MSS from folks like Updike back to Borges & even Keats. The Borges stuff had almost a child’s hand, huge & curly cursives that I suppose had to do w/ his diminishing sight. Of course, nearly all the writers in Houghton are long dead, included whatever suicides there among them (or suicides-by-degrees, like Kerouac). Makes all the difference. Still, I perused Updike when he was still with us: the galleys much worked-over, that guy. But Updike didn’t mind someone having a look, apparently, & I guess that’s the ultimate consideration. Myself, I’m more troubled when Dmitri Nabokov decides to bring out notes for a novel — notes, no more — against his father’s express wishes, stated in writing.
I could probably be really, magnetically happy in his archives for a day or two.
Oh, sorry to bring it up again. I guess I felt like I wasn’t getting your point last week. Yeah, I can understand your feeling protective in this case.
Personally, I think there’s a big difference between opening an archive and publishing posthumous material.
I also think people generally understand the nature of working materials. No one is going to judge anyone’s work on the basis of a weak first draft.
You should check out Dennis Cooper’s archive at NYU some time. There’s nothing like holding the manuscript of “Closer” in your hands.
I want higher res images.. can’t read a damn thing.
that’s a great suggestion. i need to get there.
i like lorian
dfw stan
Blake & others, you’d get something out of the archives at Harvard’s Houghton Library. These include MSS from folks like Updike back to Borges & even Keats. The Borges stuff had almost a child’s hand, huge & curly cursives that I suppose had to do w/ his diminishing sight. Of course, nearly all the writers in Houghton are long dead, included whatever suicides there among them (or suicides-by-degrees, like Kerouac). Makes all the difference. Still, I perused Updike when he was still with us: the galleys much worked-over, that guy. But Updike didn’t mind someone having a look, apparently, & I guess that’s the ultimate consideration. Myself, I’m more troubled when Dmitri Nabokov decides to bring out notes for a novel — notes, no more — against his father’s express wishes, stated in writing.
I want higher res images.. can’t read a damn thing.
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