novelist, essayist, teacher
What?? You didn't go to college???
People frequently ask me, “Where did you go to college?” and some look as though I’ve just walloped them in the face with a flounder when I reply, “I didn’t go to college.” How can that be, I see them thinking, you’re a published author. Yeah. And in this era of nearly mandatory MFAs, I suppose I do seem like a bit of a freak.
I’ve been reading a lot of obituaries and tributes to David Foster Wallace since I wrote last, and I’m struck by how deeply touched people are by his work, and in some cases how puzzled they are by their deep reaction to his death.
What is it about this man that moved us so?
For me, I think it was because to read his work was to watch someone struggle with The Big Questions, such as how do we live authentically? What is real sincerity?
