This week’s Wreck This Journal is a little bit different from the rest. Instead of destroying, ripping, or bending with my own independent spirit, I found myself paying homage to a writer who I greatly admire. I’ve written about David Foster Wallace before, but I don’t think I can ever properly convey how much he means to me as a wordsmith and a source of inspiration. His essays, novels, and short stories capture the truth of humanity with an unparalleled sense of humor, compassion, and honesty.
Shortly after his untimely death, a speech he gave at Kenyon College in 2005 was published as a small book called This Is Water. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve either read or listened to Wallace’s words concerning life, awareness, and the power of choice. His philosophy is one I consider on an almost daily basis as it reminds me to see everything with relentless curiosity and wonder.
So, when Wreck This Journal gave instructions to doodle on the inside covers of my journal, I couldn’t help but scribble some of my favorite lines from “This Is Water”. This entire process has been about making a choice to let go and see things from a new perspective, which is a main point in just about everything Wallace writes. My journal just wouldn’t be complete without him.
Click on each image for a full-size view, (it makes it much easier to read!).
Words to live by as far as I’m concerned.
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c.b. 2011
C.B. Wentworth 