Book of the Month: A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments by David Foster Wallace

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YEREVAN, Armenia – This month’s book recommendation, A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace, comes to us from Customer Services/Office Coordinator Laura Santos-Bishop.

This book is a collection of nonfiction writing by David Foster Wallace published in 1997. David Foster Wallace was a contemporary American essayist, novelist, and short story writer, recognized for his unique style, which includes extensive usage of footnotes and irony. He has been hailed as “one of the most influential and innovative writers of the last 20 years” by Times book editor David Ulin. 

Santos-Bishop shares, “Wallace writes with a unique style that is both hilarious and insightful; he is deeply explorative, observant, and critical both of himself, the society that created him, and his reactions to that society, providing an exceptional view into the minutiae and idiosyncrasies of American culture.” 

A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again contains three of Wallace’s most recognized essays: the title essay which describes the ridiculous extravagance of a one week luxury cruise; “E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction,” on the use of irony in American culture and television’s impact on literature; and “Getting Away from Already Being Pretty Much Away from It All” detailing Wallace’s experiences at the Illinois State Fair, and exploring the excesses and peculiarities of Americana culture.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.