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The Famous Speech That Almost Didn't Happen

Check out Sam Levine's piece for The Huffington Post about Wallace's Kenyon commencement speech, David Foster Wallace's Famous Commencement Speech Almost Didn't Happen.

[...]
"He's foregrounding that idea and playing with it, the idea of being aware of what you're doing at the moments where you wouldn't ordinarily be aware is where you're going to find peace and some wisdom," Pietsch said. "That's what he was exploring -- what people think of boring and ordinary is really the stuff of life."

Even back at Pomona, Wallace had been guarded about what he was going to say in the address. Kathleen Fitzpatrick and Rena Fraden, two of Wallace's colleagues, said he was always discreet about what he was writing. They don't remember Wallace mentioning the address at all. Pietsch said he remembers hearing the address was happening, but didn't speak with Wallace about it. Wallace's sister, Amy, said she doesn't remember her brother mentioning he would be giving Kenyon's commencement address until a week before he did it.
[...]

Continue reading David Foster Wallace's Famous Commencement Speech Almost Didn't Happen.

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