David Foster Wallace Dictionary / How Does This Work?

For the curious here’s a quick look at the chaotic methodology by which I procure and post Mr. Wallace’s words. Basically, what I do is read a little of Mr. Wallace’s writing each morning. When I come to a word I do not know, or a word I think I know, but might not, I post it here.

For example, I know what the word fast means. This word would not make it into the dictionary. However, I’m almost certain I know what the word fastidious means, but it’d still do me some good to look it up anyways. This word would make it into the dictionary. A word like exeleutherostomize, fuck, that gets entered right quick. I take a fairly liberal approach to adding words. My rule of thumb is if I cannot immediately and coherently (i.e: sans digression or babbling analogy) spit out a standard and agreed upon definition of a word then it should go into the dictionary.

The structure of the word entries will always be the same. The title of all posts will be the word, followed by the definition, which I’ll grab from any number of on-line dictionaries. After the definition I’ll post the David Foster Wallace sentence I found the word in, and after that I’ll write my own sentence using the respective article’s word. I do not post my own sentence for comparison, or as competition to Mr. Wallace’s. Were this the case I’d look the fool. I post my own sentence in the hopes the word might actually become a functioning part of my vocabulary and writing. We’re more apt to learn a thing if we effectuate it, or in the case of words actually use them and not leave them dangling somewhere behind grocery lists and other mental clutter.

I am not going through Mr. Wallace’s work in any structured manner. I’ll read a little of this, a little of that, and then jump over to this. For example, I’m using Omniweb’s workspace feature for all my DFW Dictionary related tabs. I’ll typically have three or four pieces of Mr. Wallace’s writing open at a time and jump between them. I keep track of where I stopped reading, and post little sticky notes, using Diigo.

In every sense I am not reading Mr. Wallace’s writing for entertainment, per se. Suppose it’s impossible to cleanse any art form of its subtle enjoyments, but I go after the writing more as a research project, and less as an end with no means.

I’ll post around three to, let’s say, ten words a week, depending on externalities. I’ll shy away from posting on the weekends, unless I have a batch of fidgety saved posts.

Below is a chaotic list of Mr. Wallace’s on-line material, and the writing I’ll first be reading. This list is in no particular order. I threw it down for reference, made half hearted attempts to organize it, and may clean it up some day, or not. I’m one of them disorganized people who think lists tend towards atrophy so it behooves a person of sound judgement to let it run free from the start. If you see something missing please let me know. I will get to Mr. Wallace’s books after I’ve exhausted all the on-line material.

Everything is Green
Tennis, Trigonometry, Tornados
Rabbit Resurrected
The Awakening of My Interests in Annular Systems
Ticket to the Fair
Shipping Out
The Depressed Person
Laughing with Kafka
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
Tense Present: Democracy, English, and the Wars Over Usage
The Compliance Branch