David Foster Wallace, author of the massive tome Infinite Jest and the collection of essays A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, among several other works, has died at the age of 46. The central Illinois native and former creative writing professor at Illinois State University hanged himself yesterday in his California home, according to the New York Times.
Wallace's essay, "Derivative Sport In Tornado Alley," in which he obstinately practices his beloved tennis on an Urbana, IL court despite the tornado bearing down on the town, remains a beloved piece of writing for me. Also, in case you missed it, his essay on a right-wing political radio shock jock is a must read. Very sad.
Update: As expected, Salon has one of the first tributes to Wallace up on their site.
Update II: Read Michiko Kakutani's
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