There’s that parlour game – ‘who would you most like to have a conversation with’? and I’ve always felt like I’d be too awestruck to speak with many of my heroes. But I’ve been an admirer of David Foster Wallace since discovering a book of his essays at my cousin’s house a few years ago. I’ve never read his fiction (so far) but he did some notable interviews during his lifetime, and after watching some of them, I feel like he’d have been great to natter with.
Here’s one with a German interviewer, from 2003, which is alarmingly prescient in its range of topics, from citizenship, corrupting power of corporate sponsorship, silence (absence of, importance of, for reading and thinking). I also like that he’s not wearing his characteristic bandana!
“I don’t think this is an evil country, I don’t think Americans are evil, I think we’ve had it very easy materially for a long time and we’ve gotten very little help in understanding things that are important besides being comfortable. I don’t think anybody knows how we will react if things get really hard here. And the fact that we’re strong militarily and economically is a good thing, but it’s also a frightening thing.
“My feeling is that the kind of rebellion that will change anything meaningfully here will be very quiet and very individual and probably not all that interesting to look at from the outside…
“Violence is interesting and horrible corruption and scandals is interesting. Rattling sabres and talking about war and demonizing a billion people of a different faith: all that is interesting… “Sitting in a chair and thinking about what all this means, and why what I drive might have something to do with how people in other parts of the world might feel about me probably isn’t that interesting to anybody else.
“I’m a writer, I’m not a politician, I’m not a political thinker. I’m just a scared little American living in California.”