News Shocker
Somehow I knew as soon as I saw the headline for David Foster Wallace's death, that it would be a suicide rather than an accident or aneurysm.
Not sure what to make of it. One thing to take away--which I think we "know" already, but often forget--is that if a creative type is feeling sorry for himself for not being successful enough, well obviously a certain measure of success (recognition by peers, good reviews in prestigious papers, a salaried position at a nice little college) isn't a bulwark against despair. This can be taken one of two ways. One can go deeper into depression (Nothing will ever make this go away! See!) Or you can realize that if you're going to be happy find some contentment, it's going to happen whether you remain poor and obscure or if you get a big time publisher and academic post. Don't pin your hopes for emotional salvation on this or that other worldly achievement.
This blog has some good points about DFW's struggles with success. I liked this:
"If I hadn't gone to a bunch of AA meetings, I wouldn't have gotten rid of my TV, because I started to realize the TV didn't make me happy, but I couldn't stop watching it," he said.