‘The real world's what the map here stands for!’ —Otis P. Lord, page 334

September 7, 2012 11:52 AM

An “Infinite Jest” atlas. The Infinite Atlas Project is an independent research and art project seeking to identify, place and describe every possible location in David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest. The project includes: Infinite Map- a cartographic infographic poster identifying 250 of the most interesting locations from the novel. Infinite Boston-a ruminative travelogue and photographic tour of key locations in and around Boston, Massachusetts. [Previously]
posted by Fizz (23 comments total)

Also, in case you were interested, the current location of Bret Easton Ellis.
posted by Fizz at 11:56 AM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]

Oh dear. My weekend is about to be as obliterated as the one Gately spent on Mt. Dilaudid.
posted by spitefulcrow at 11:57 AM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]

I still read DFW as Dallas-Fort Worth. This apparently means I am the last remaining Mefite who has neither read David Foster Wallace, nor has strong a opinion about him or his writing.
posted by Dr. Twist at 12:45 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]

It would be so awesome if Lady Gaga stepped into the Bret Easton Ellis/David Foster Wallace fracas now and expressed her opinion in terms of cat scans and then it turned out that Lady Gaga was faking her Internet persona.

(where "awesome" means "makes the last 12 years of Metafilter implode on itself")

As somebody who still hasn't read Infinite Jest, the devotion it takes for these kind of projects does simultaneously draw me to and repel me from the novel. But I think that says more about me than it does about the work (of DFW and those who made the website)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:49 PM on September 7, 2012

Here be Brett Easton Ellises.
posted by spectrevsrector at 12:52 PM on September 7, 2012

More of a footnote than a proper post.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:20 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]

I only had to type 5 words and I still managed a typo.
posted by spectrevsrector at 1:26 PM on September 7, 2012

Does anyone here read Kottke.org? Because nearly 50 percent of posts on the Blue are reposts of earlier Jason Kottke posts. Or maybe its just me
posted by C.A.S. at 1:47 PM on September 7, 2012

I think there are like nine open DFW threads. DFW fatigue has set in.

I've been seeing DFW references and articles everywhere. Is it just because of that biography, or is there some other event or anniversary causing this?
posted by straight at 2:06 PM on September 7, 2012

"Here be Brett Easton Ellises."

Sorry, but it's Brets Easton Ellis.

DFW reissues.
posted by Eideteker at 2:19 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]

I was sorta on the fence about BEE's posthumous prodding via twitter at the deceased famous writer and mostly disinclined to follow the wrangling in the mefi thread about it, but one can certainly understand why the man feels the way he does feel when everywhere he turns, there's a DFW in every clause.
posted by notyou at 2:21 PM on September 7, 2012

The Infinite Atlas Project is an independent research and art project seeking to identify, place and describe every possible location in David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest.

Yeah, that sounds like the kind of thing DFW/Infinite Jest fans would consider a worthwhile use of time.
posted by Decani at 2:27 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]

Bloomsday is to me a bit excessive but I understand the literary pilgrim's urge. In Dublin, however, they do it for an actual readable classic. Not like this.
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 2:28 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]

I too have a seemingly iconoclastic opinion which I would like to state with a sneer.
posted by shakespeherian at 2:35 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]

You've found the right place. Why so timid?
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 2:39 PM on September 7, 2012

Ha! I spend my time in ways infinitely more rewarding than the sort of people who would do something like this!

*refresh*

*refresh*

*refresh*

*refresh*

*refresh*
posted by IjonTichy at 2:45 PM on September 7, 2012 [3 favorites]

Bloomsday is to me a bit excessive but I understand the literary pilgrim's urge. In Dublin, however, they do it for an actual readable classic. Not like this.

Debatable. To me, Ulysses is impenetrable but I rolled right through Infinite Jest and just loved the shit out of it.
posted by Evstar at 2:49 PM on September 7, 2012

I used to wish for a month of MeFi without DFW. Then I wished for a week without a DFW post. Now it looks like I will have to start wishing for a day without a DFW post.
posted by charlie don't surf at 4:37 PM on September 7, 2012 [1 favorite]

Life is hard.
posted by shakespeherian at 4:55 PM on September 7, 2012 [3 favorites]

Seriously, it's too bad there's not a way to exclude topics that annoy you on the site.

Oh, yeah, oops.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 5:21 PM on September 7, 2012 [2 favorites]

I did not know about that feature and I am grateful to you for pointing it out.
posted by charlie don't surf at 9:03 PM on September 7, 2012

I'm with charlie don't surf. Have fun, guys! See you in threads about things!
posted by sonic meat machine at 6:19 PM on September 8, 2012

Bloomsday is to me a bit excessive but I understand the literary pilgrim's urge. In Dublin, however, they do it for an actual readable classic. Not like this.

I'm a fan of both, but to claim Ulysses is somehow more readable than Infinite Jest seems more than a bit off. I mean, have you taken a look at, say, the Circe chapter recently? Maybe you have an idiosyncratic rubric for readability? Maybe that's just your way of saying DFW isn't your cup of tea?
posted by nobody at 8:02 AM on September 9, 2012