Incoming controversial statement of fact: Infinite Jest is the greatest book ever written.
Talk amongst yourselves.
I have spoken at length about my absolute adoration for David Foster Wallace, his sadness at his suicide, and just how much this book affected me. Such a good book. Actually, anything Wallace wrote was the greatest thing you’ve ever read. Promise. For example, this, ‘Consider the Lobster’, or better yet, this ‘Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again’ which are ‘short’ (in the long sense of short, that is) reads, but will give you a taste of what to expect with Infinite Jest. Which is, funny, poignant, erudite, insightful prose. But that’s just me.
But finding someone, that has ACTUALLY READ the book is rare. So rare… that there are some who have given tips as to how to LOOk like you’ve read Infinite Jest, when in fact you have not. My favorite of which, includes putting a sign up next to it, saying you’ve read it. Heheh. Cracks me up. Notice that Franzen’s Corrections is there too! hahah. So funny. (Which is also another favorite author of mine, and equally lied about.
Anyway, the End of the Tour just came out, and it looks like I’ll finally be getting to see it later this week. Can’t wait to talk about it here. Expect that it will be an absolute head job of a movie. Not because it’ll be hard to follow, but because it’ll toss Wallace’s death back into my lap and make me realize all over again that he’s gone. Which, apparently, I’m having a hard time coping with, even still.
Regardless, the 20th anniversary of the initial publication of Infinite Jest is coming up. And it would seem that Little, Brown is hosting a competition. Interested in being on the front of David’s immortal book? Then this is your competition. Want to have your name associated with his? Well then, giddy up. All you need to do is to design a cover for the book that will blow everyone else’s away. Oh and by the way, there are some really, really, really talented people that love David Foster Wallace even more than I do. Sacrilege. Anyway, here are a few alternative covers I’ve found wandering around the net.
Some pretty stiff competition out there. But I definitely will submit something. I don’t care if its a steaming pile a shite… I will still submit a cover just to be able to participate. Oh, and as a bonus, I’ve included a diagram I found of the P.G.O.A.T…. Madam Psychosis from the book. And if you know anything about the book, and how important she is, you’ll enjoy the drawing.
Oh, and there’s a thousand bucks in it for you too. But really? Compared to being on the cover of Infinite Jest… does it even really compare? No, I didn’t think so.
