Every Love Story Is a Ghost Story: A Life of David Foster Wallace (61 page)
Updike, John, 29, 30, 96, 108, 115, 184, 223, 243–44, 254
Urbana, Ill.,
see
Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
Urbana High School, 9, 13, 185, 265
Us,
97
“View from Mrs. Thompson’s, The” (Wallace), 262–63, 276
Viking Penguin, 66–71, 81, 82, 83, 98, 101, 117, 122, 314
n
legal department of, 107, 108–9, 112, 315
n
short story collection publication dropped by, 109, 112
Voice Literary Supplement,
150, 208–9, 216
Vollmann, William, 130, 131, 143, 155, 213, 264, 289, 316
n
Walden, Gale, 58–59, 64, 72–75, 80, 81, 97, 100, 147, 153, 165, 188, 323
n
Wallace’s break with, 83–84, 92, 104–5, 123, 128
Wallace’s fiction and, 92, 93, 159
Wallace’s friendship with, 189–90
Walden, Joelle, 159
Wallace, Amy, 1–8, 29, 42, 70, 145, 248, 311
n
on David, 11, 12, 34, 316
n
David’s depression and, 116, 117, 298
David’s fiction and, 75, 312
n,
313
n
David’s relationship with, 6–7, 12, 22–23, 73–74, 89, 113, 323
n
David’s travels with, 73–74
David’s wedding and, 282–83
David’s work and, 211, 320
n,
321
n
education of, 27, 185
marriage of, 197
religion and, 114, 316
n
Wallace, David Foster:
anger of, 6, 13, 74, 81, 129–30, 143, 150, 170, 175, 211, 269, 299, 316
n
Wallace, David Foster (
cont.
)
anxiety and stress of, 8, 10–13, 16, 20, 22, 31–32, 48, 55, 64, 80, 83, 97–98, 99, 106, 112, 113, 136, 169, 177, 194–95, 198, 206–7, 218, 239, 248, 255, 298, 319
n
apologizing and amends making of, 113, 127, 143, 227, 265–66, 323
n
appearance of, 4, 7, 17, 20, 24–25, 38, 58, 64–65, 67, 79, 96, 97, 103, 136, 147, 174, 179, 187, 196, 197, 222, 249, 250, 270, 271, 282, 297–98, 299, 319
n
athletic activities of, 7–12, 14, 17, 20, 32, 43, 53, 56, 64, 95, 105, 167, 170, 179, 184, 188, 270
awards and prizes of, 5–6, 9, 28, 33, 39, 50, 51, 80, 103, 112, 138, 174, 229, 238–39, 242, 260
book reviewing of, 120–23, 126, 142–43, 146, 152, 154, 243–44
book tours and signings of, 76, 220–27, 229, 253, 279
as brand, 208, 320
n
childhood of, 1–9, 26, 55, 113, 157, 169–70, 186, 200, 271
cleverness of, 139, 148, 150, 171, 255
clowning and showing off of, 7, 22, 56–57, 139, 157
college-years fiction writing of, 23, 29, 34–48, 54–55, 57, 59–71, 73, 74–78, 84–88, 90, 91, 94, 311
n
–14
n
competitiveness of, 39, 55, 89, 96, 129, 143, 231, 273, 282, 316
n
confidence of, 28, 53, 80, 90, 131, 158, 174
debating of, 21
depression of, 8, 13, 22, 28, 31–35, 38, 41–42, 51–52, 100, 101, 103, 104–5, 115–17, 120, 135, 154, 169, 298–301
as drama junkie, 153–54
drinking of, 21, 30, 80, 83, 89, 95, 100, 101, 104, 105, 106, 113–15, 119, 123, 127, 132–36, 140, 146, 150, 169, 225, 234, 315
n
early writing of, 2, 4–6, 9, 12, 18, 19
education of, 2, 5, 11–22, 119, 127, 132–34, 136, 137, 146, 190, 256, 291, 312
n,
316
n
;
see also
Amherst; Arizona, University of
exaggerations and inventions of, 139, 147, 185, 186, 192, 317
n,
319
n
–20
n
fame, celebrity, and success of, 10, 71, 96, 97, 101, 178, 221, 225, 230–31, 232, 234, 239–40, 245–46, 314
n,
315
n
family background of, 1–7, 164, 318
n,
319
n
fear of disclosure and privacy of, 8, 17–18, 43, 59
female interests and dating of, 10, 42, 51–54, 72–77, 83–84, 95, 96, 97, 100, 113, 120, 126, 127, 132, 173, 180–81, 202–3, 222–25, 232–34, 241, 248–52, 266, 268–73, 315
n,
322
n
;
see also
Harris, Kymberly; Karr, Mary; Perkins, Susan; Walden, Gale
finances of, 50, 66–67, 79, 81, 82, 84, 87, 97, 99, 112, 118–19, 125, 142, 149, 151, 153, 163, 171, 184, 228, 239, 250, 261, 262, 315
n,
316
n
gratitude of, 70, 228, 300
guilt of, 42, 51, 129, 183
hospitalization of, 52, 116, 134–37, 154, 298, 299–300
house purchased by, 200–201
humor and funniness of, 4–5, 7, 10, 21, 26–27, 31, 62, 63–64, 83, 159, 185, 186, 197, 216, 245, 299, 313
n
injuries of, 121, 147, 151–52, 316
n
insecurity of, 44, 68, 125, 131, 314
n
intelligence of, 11, 18–19, 42, 114, 136, 139, 174, 215, 311
n
isolation and loneliness of, 12, 17, 104, 142, 153, 175, 202, 231, 236
Kenyon College address of, 284–86, 291, 293, 324
n
listening skills of, 233, 322
n
literary readings of, 83, 96, 105, 131, 163, 220–21, 224, 232, 266, 273
marriage of,
see
Green, Karen
marriage plans of, 83–84, 100, 104, 152, 154, 166, 170, 250–51, 270, 282
meanness of, 6–7, 21, 113, 187
medications used by, 32, 34, 35, 52, 53, 96, 114–17, 251, 297, 298, 300, 322
n
mental breakdowns of, 22–23, 32–34, 51–52, 115, 116, 154, 158, 315
n
name of, 66
need for order of, 136, 139, 142–43
non-writing and teaching jobs of, 23, 42, 112, 138, 187
old drafts of, 146, 158, 166
parody, mimicry, and farce of, 26–27, 62, 63, 65, 72, 74, 76, 83, 157, 161, 184, 247, 312
n,
314
n,
316
n
personal hygiene of, 16, 17, 18, 37–38, 69, 119–20, 163, 165, 187
phobic mind of, 20, 24, 123
politeness and graciousness of, 17, 57, 95, 314
n
popularity of, 7, 27, 42, 80, 148
puberty of, 9, 13, 27, 55
reading of, 2, 5–6, 29–32, 34, 38, 47, 56, 59, 72, 84, 120, 122, 126, 133, 143, 144, 146, 152, 153, 169–70, 209, 272, 289, 296, 300, 312
n,
316
n
recreational drug use of, 8, 10–11, 18, 19, 21, 30–31, 42, 47, 80, 83, 89, 95, 98, 101, 103, 104, 106, 113–14, 119, 123, 127, 149, 150, 169, 219, 234, 315
n,
317
n
religion and spirituality and, 114, 181, 231–32, 251, 257, 291, 316
n
at retreats, 231–32, 258–59, 261, 262, 265
sexuality of, 29, 96, 113, 126, 153, 181, 225, 232–34, 241, 317
n,
323
n
single-entendre writing commitment of, 158, 159, 279, 289
smoking of, 54, 68, 79, 80, 103, 119, 123, 191, 202, 237, 251, 300, 322
n
sobriety of, 106, 113–14, 135–47, 149–50, 153, 154, 155, 162, 166, 167, 168, 178, 179–80, 202, 227, 233, 234, 283, 315
n,
320
n
suicide of, 298–301
sweating of, 64, 80, 273, 297
teaching of, 79–80, 84, 88, 97, 99–105, 112, 115–16, 133, 137, 148, 149, 151, 153, 154, 163, 173–76, 178, 180, 187–88, 191, 197–98, 230, 231, 233, 237–38, 251–52, 262, 266–67, 270–71, 284, 322
n
therapy of, 22, 29, 33, 34, 117, 123, 136, 139, 149, 169–70, 177, 179, 181, 233, 283, 300
thesis help given by, 47, 52
travels of, 24, 52–53, 73–74, 78–79, 88, 105, 125, 163–64, 167, 196, 201–5, 244–45, 249–50, 252, 258–59, 262, 268, 269–70, 272–73, 290, 299
writer’s block of, 100–101, 102, 106, 111, 144, 145, 149, 154, 155, 234–38, 266, 292
writing style of, 34, 35, 142, 159, 171, 320
n
–21
n
Wallace, David Rains, 66
Wallace, James, 1–8, 10–14, 20, 21, 22, 41, 58, 106, 112, 127, 232, 272, 282, 297, 312
n,
318
n,
324
n
Amherst and, 13, 14, 16, 22, 25
David’s dependence on, 118
David’s depression and, 22, 33, 51, 116, 300
on Harvard, 316
n
marriage of, 23, 28–29, 113, 314
n
philosophy and, 1, 11, 25, 32, 41, 119, 133
religion and, 114, 316
n
Wallace, Sally Foster, 1–8, 11–12, 20–25, 33, 47, 51, 58, 66, 106, 112, 137, 232, 272, 282, 297, 313
n,
314
n
care packages of, 17, 18
correct usage and, 2–3, 56–57, 165, 187, 271
on David’s anxiety, 12–13
David’s dependence on, 118
David’s depression and, 22, 33, 51, 53, 116, 117, 300
David’s estrangement from, 170, 187
David’s therapy and, 169, 170, 177, 181, 233
David’s work and, 177, 197, 211, 241–42, 321
n
marriage of, 23–24, 28–29, 113, 169, 314
n
religion and, 114, 316
n
Wall Street Journal,
82–83, 315
n
Washington, Corey, 21, 27–34, 42, 51–52, 224, 232
Wallace’s correspondence with, 28–34, 37, 41, 43, 53–56, 67, 74, 77, 79, 80, 101, 105, 112, 176–79, 227, 259, 314
n
Washington Post,
143, 219, 276
Welty, Eudora, 102, 103
“Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way” (Wallace), 89–94, 96, 98–102, 104, 108, 109, 130, 131, 159, 160, 214, 241, 315
n
as phoenix, 135
reading of, 105
theft of, 98
White, Curtis, 174, 267
White Noise
(DeLillo), 225–26
“Whiz Kid and His Wacky First Novel, A” (profile), 82–83
Wittgenstein, Ludwig, 32, 44–47, 65, 68, 126, 288, 312
n,
313
n,
315
n
Wittgenstein’s Mistress
(Markson), 120–23, 126, 128, 142, 172, 174, 253
Wodehouse, P. G., 189, 207
Wood, James, 228–29, 264–65
Workshop Hermeticism, 110–11
Wright, Evan, 245, 323
n
Wurtzel, Elizabeth, 202–3, 220, 224–25, 241, 269, 320
n,
324
n
W. W. Norton, 117, 120, 128, 131, 138, 171, 260
Yaddo, 136, 317
n
Wallace at, 88–89, 94–99, 101, 103, 125–28, 131, 142, 158, 159, 160, 179, 314
n
Zenith,
MV (the
Nadir
), 202–5
Zipper, the, 185, 186
Zumbyes, 59, 313
n
