A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments
A concise and accessible introduction to Wallace's nonfiction, humor, reportage, and ethical concerns.
Author guide
David Foster Wallace Books in Order
David Foster Wallace was an American writer and professor whose work combined literary fiction, experimental short stories, essays, journalism, humor, and philosophical inquiry. Born in Ithaca, New York, and raised in Illinois, he studied English and philosophy at Amherst College and earned an MFA in fiction from the University of Arizona. His debut novel, The Broom of the System, developed from his Amherst English thesis; Infinite Jest established him as a major late-twentieth-century novelist. He also published acclaimed story and essay collections, collaborated with Mark Costello on Signifying Rappers, and wrote the book-length nonfiction works Everything and More and Fate, Time, and Language. Wallace taught creative writing at Emerson College, Illinois State University, and Pomona College. He died in 2008; his unfinished novel The Pale King and several posthumous collections were subsequently published.
literary fictionexperimental fictionshort storiesessaysliterary nonfictionjournalismphilosophyhumor
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Girl with Curious Hair
A manageable entry point to his fiction before attempting the longer novels.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (4)
- The Broom of the System
novel · 1987
Published when Wallace was just twenty-four years old, The Broom of the System stunned critics and marked the emergence of an extraordinary new talent. At the center of this outlandishly funny, fiercely intelligent novel is the bewitching…
- Infinite Jest
novel · 1996
The "grandly ambitious, wickedly comic" modern classic about the pursuit of happiness in America, now in a new 30th anniversary edition (Seattle Times). Set in an addicts' halfway house and a tennis academy, and featuring the most…
- Everything and More: A Compact History of Infinity
nonfiction · 2003
*"A gripping guide to the modern taming of the infinite."*—The New York Times. With a new introduction by Neal Stephenson. Is infinity a valid mathematical property or a meaningless abstraction? David Foster Wallace brings his…
- The Pale King: An Unfinished Novel
unfinished-novel · 2011
Nonfiction (1)
- Fate, Time, and Language: An Essay on Free Will
philosophy · 2010
Short fiction (3)
- Girl with Curious Hair
short-story-collection · 1989
A collection of short stories by David Foster Wallace that explore the different ways people live their lives.
- Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
short-story-collection · 1999
In this thought-provoking and playful short story collection, David Foster Wallace nudges at the boundaries of fiction with inimitable wit and seductive intelligence. Wallace's stories present a world where the bizarre and the banal are…
- Oblivion: Stories
short-story-collection · 2004
In the stories that make up Oblivion, David Foster Wallace joins the rawest, most naked humanity with the infinite involutions of self-consciousness--a combination that is dazzlingly, uniquely his. These are worlds undreamt-of by any…
Essays and speeches (5)
- A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments
essay-collection · 1997
A collection of insightful and uproariously funny non-fiction by the bestselling author of INFINITE JEST - one of the most acclaimed and adventurous writers of our time. A SUPPOSEDLY FUN THING... brings together Wallace's musings on a…
- Consider the Lobster and Other Essays
essay-collection · 2005
Do lobsters feel pain? Did Franz Kafka have a funny bone? What is John Updike's deal, anyway? And what happens when adult-video starlets meet their fans in person? David Foster Wallace answers these questions and more in essays that are…
- This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life
commencement-speech · 2009
Only once did David Foster Wallace give a public talk on his views on life, during a commencement address given in 2005 at Kenyon College. The speech is reprinted for the first time in book form in THIS IS WATER. How does one keep from…
- Both Flesh and Not: Essays
essay-collection · 2012
Brilliant, dazzling, never-before-collected nonfiction writings by "one of America's most daring and talented writers" (Los Angeles Times Book Review): Both Flesh and Not gathers fifteen of Wallace's seminal essays, all published in book…
- String Theory: David Foster Wallace on Tennis
essay-collection · 2016
Collects essays about tennis in which the author challenges the sports memoir genre, profiles two of the world's greatest players, and shares his own experiences in his youth as a regionally ranked tennis player.
Collaborations (2)
- Signifying Rappers: Rap and Race in the Urban Present
co-authored-nonfiction · 1990
- Quack This Way: David Foster Wallace & Bryan A. Garner Talk Language and Writing
co-authored-interview · 2013
Frequently asked questions about David Foster Wallace
Who was David Foster Wallace?
David Foster Wallace (1962–2008) was an American novelist, short-story writer, essayist, and professor. His work combined fiction and nonfiction with philosophy, mathematics, science, and observations of contemporary culture.
Sources: macfound.org (opens in a new tab)hrc.utexas.edu (opens in a new tab)
Where did David Foster Wallace study and teach?
He earned an A.B. from Amherst College in 1985 and an M.F.A. from the University of Arizona in 1987. He taught at Illinois State University before joining Pomona College, where he became the Roy E. Disney Professor of Creative Writing.
What is David Foster Wallace best known for?
He is best known for his 1996 novel Infinite Jest, which established him as a major American literary figure. He was also widely recognized for his essays and literary journalism.
Sources: hrc.utexas.edu (opens in a new tab)macfound.org (opens in a new tab)
What influenced David Foster Wallace’s writing?
Wallace’s writing drew on philosophy and mathematics, as well as history, science, and modern culture. This interdisciplinary range helped shape his distinctive experimental fiction and essays.
What major award did David Foster Wallace receive?
Wallace was named a MacArthur Fellow in 1997 for his work in fiction and nonfiction writing.