// From The Library Of David Foster Wallace

Tags:

DFW Annotated Copy of Don DeLillo's Players

Inside cover of David Foster Wallace's annotated copy of Don DeLillo's Players

DAVID FOSTER WALLACE was working on a novel when he committed suicide in September 2008. Coinciding with its posthumous release as The Pale King, the University of Texas at Austin has opened its Archive of Writer David Foster
Wallace — a special collection of his notes, manuscripts, and personal effects. Made up of 34 document boxes and 8 oversize folders, the collection has received as much attention for what it reveals about Wallace as a reader as for the window it provides into his creative process as a writer.

The Archive has about 300 books from Wallace’s personal library, many of them substantially annotated. I decided to make a complete list for myself by searching the special collection via the University’s online card catalog… and I thought other people might also be curious about what was on his bookshelf.

So for the convenience of bookworms everywhere, I am sharing it in the table below.1 There’s a really interesting blend of material and topics here so, if you’ve been looking for some good book recommendations, you should be set for a while!

// more //

  1. I did my best to make the corresponding Amazon links point to the correct translation / edition of the work in question. [↩]

// HIYOW Wrap-Up: The Ties That Bind Us Together

Tags:

Village Science's New Microscope Receives a Blessing During A Lao "Baci" Ceremony.

Before any momentous occasion in Laos, there is usually a traditional ceremony called “Baci” — and the day before I left Luang Prabang, some Lao students invited me to a Baci in order to bless their new microscope (and to wish me a safe journey home).

According to Lao custom, a Baci gathers and reintegrates the many vital forces which make up your soul. During the ceremony, a village elder chants to call those vital forces (called kwan) back to you. One after another, small white strings are tied around your wrist by everyone in the room. Each serves as a reminder that you are part of a greater community — but it’s also a person-to-person wish for your good luck and happiness.1

And when it’s over, you share a feast! If you’re looking for a singular experience that represents the unique, beating heart of Lao culture — in all of its warmth, graciousness, and love of good food — it’s probably this one.

// more //

  1. By the end of the ceremony, the dozens of strings around each wrist make it look like you’re wearing white terry-cloth wristbands from the 1970′s or, in my case due to prodigious arm hair, like a golden retriever is being held hostage. [↩]

// HIYOW Giveaway Overtime! Unconventional Guides

Tags:


I think that SEAN OGLE is a mensch.

I was just about to wrap up the Help In Your Own Way Giveaway when he wrote “Hey man, sorry I missed the Giveaway 2 weeks back – not sure how I did. Is it still going on if I tweet about it now?”

There’s been a lot going on in the world during the last couple of weeks and, like Sean, I wanted to make sure that readers of the Unconventional Guides knew about our project.

So to make sure that as many people can participate as possible, I’ve decided to extend the deadline for two more days. The Giveaway now ends at 11:59pm, Eastern Time on Thursday. There will be no further extensions… so this is your last opportunity to help out and maybe win a fantastic prize in the process!

Unconventional Guides Readers Can Help In Their Own Way!

Unconventional Guides encourage people to engage with the world on their own terms — and try to make it a better place while they do. People who want to travel, run successful businesses, and spend their time in meaningful ways should appreciate both the ideas at the core of our Giveaway… and also the prizes!

Fans of CHRIS GUILLEBEAU and these Guides can not only win one of two $100 Gift Certificates to the Unconventional Guides store, but also some other great travel-related prizes like:

How You Can Help

Take a moment to see the work that The Language Project and Village Science are doing… and then find a way to give them a boost (and thus entering yourself in our Giveaway)! Maybe you could…

Come up with something else remarkable? Just click here to tell us all about it… and be sure to follow the Veritrope.com Twitter Feed for more!