Because of his suicide and specialized type of brilliance, David Foster Wallace will remain historically relevant. Infinite Jest will be perceived as his defining work, even though it will rarely be read, simply due to its size and complexity. Since that novel will be both deeply remembered and widely unread, it will become a perfect vessel for radical, obtuse interpretation (in the same way this is currently done with Moby-Dick). Two or three centuries from now, the events of September 11, 2001, will be the singular social touchstone for all creative American works that happened within the general vicinity of that date (and if you don’t believe me, try to find deep analysis of any American art from the middle nineteenth century that doesn’t glancingly reference the Civil War). This is the recipe for how a book about one subject ends up becoming the defining book about something else entirely. Someday, there will be a college literature class connected to the events of 9/11, Infinite Jest will be included on the reading list, and there will be an inordinate amount of emphasis on the passages about the militant Quebecois.
