>>8233693
>most great authors weren't properly recognized in their lifetime
>kills himself in order to be recognized
the biggest risk of them all
well meme'd, Mr. Wallace.

>>8233703
>lifetime of clinical depression
>goes off meds due to change in efficacy
>"he killed himself for attention"

>>8233703

except Infinite Jest was a critical success and got called "the best novel in the past 30 years"

>>8233693
There's one thing and one thing only that the mods could do to immensely improve the board, instantly, overnight, and that's facilitate more threads about David Foster Wallace. Create them, nurture the ones that exist, guide the discussions, and make sure they stay on track. If we're here to discuss literature, ultimately, we are here to discuss David Foster Wallace. There is no way for a person to grasp the full implications of Infinite Jest and not realize this. We're talking about the smartest man who ever lived. You must realize this. It's not a joke anymore. We're seeing the world degenerate further and further into chaos, and we're standing by and watching it happen. You want to fix this board? You want to fix the world? You want to fix your life? You need only take one step: read Infinite Jest. There is no substitute for hard work, and that's what Wallace requires of you if you are to understand him. If you are to understand not just him, but the world. We're not talking about escapist literature, fan fiction, genre nonsense. We're talking about saving our lives. We're talking about meditating on God. We're talking about communing with the primary presence. This is not an issue to be treated lightly.

>>8233693
>It seems as though the elements of literature that would previously make something subversive and controversial are now widely accepted

Then they aren't subversive or controversial and things that would be considered such you would be unlikely to enjoy seeing as how you aren't an interesting or intelligent individual, like myself.

More importantly, no author will ever achieve true recognition again. Writing--books specifically--is dead and yet still finding a way to die more and more every day. Twitter is the future of writing. Your retarded, spastic nieces and nephews are the future of writing.

>>8235223

>Then they aren't subversive or controversial

I am talking more about experimentation than subject matter. It's not that authors are getting praised for doing the same things, they are being praised for doing new, different things because experimentation is now considered something to be valued. But whereas previous authors would die before getting proper recognition, the current climate actively seeks out these authors and heaps praise upon them. Does this make Stephen King the under-appreciated secret genius of our time? Or someone like Stephenie Meyer, who is even more critically panned and actually outright mocked by most average readers?

>>8235223
>Writing--books specifically--is dead and yet still finding a way to die more and more every day.
I like how you point out the flaw in your thinking yet choose to accept it as reality.

>>8233693
>most greatest
anon...

>>8233693

It has to do with the bias of literary types. Most of us immediately dismiss any praise of an author, and editors are the same. They expect the entries to be shit, sometimes they don't read it at all.

The reality is any half decent book can become a good seller if it has a famous name attached to it or is marketed effectively.