Author David Foster Wallace Dies From Apparent Suicide
David Foster Wallace, most famous as the author of Infinite Jest, died Friday in his home at the age of 46, from what appeared to be a suicide.
According to a New York Times report, Wallace’s wife, Karen Green, returned home to find that her husband had hanged himself.
Wallace's father, James Donald Wallace, told the New York Times that his son, who had been depressed for several months, had stopped taking his medication last year, due to side effects. He had experienced a relapse of his depression, but no treatment had been helpful.
“He was being very heavily medicated,” said Wallace's father. “He’d been in the hospital a couple of times over the summer and had undergone electro-convulsive therapy. Everything had been tried, and he just couldn’t stand it anymore.”
If you'd like to explore more about Wallace's work, described by Guide Mark Flanagan as "addictively fun to read, like the deciphering of a particularly challenging puzzle", please visit Contemporary Literature at About.com.
Comments
this is very sad, but i bet one thing they never tried was to look at if the vitamin/minerals etc were at optimal levels - not just “within normal levels” but optimal levels. I also bet they never ran hashimoto’s thyroid tests to make sure he didn’t suffer from thyroid disease, even if his levels were normal he can suffer if he has the hashimoto’s antibodies. I hope anyone that reads this will consider what i said if they suffer or know someone who suffers from depression…
Oh! This is sad to hear that one more genius perished due to depression.Even in death Mr.Wallace is teaching me a lesson.I have his problem.Iam not a known or acknowledged person but a simple commoner.I can identify with him as I have suffered due to deprssion and felt like killing self many a times.Got intoxicated a couple of times and went into isolation.Cut my wrist so deep and collapsed.My friend who came for an errand rushed me to a clinic 1st time and my house owner did it for 2nd time.This 2 incidents happened 13 years back.Iam just lucky or some God or super power had been helping me.Later on I became an alcoholic,then an addict.I was always lonely,analyzing each and every thing happening around me and strongly believed that nobody can help me or this world around me.Those were the horrible moments in my life.By grace of God I recieved the message of A.A and am not only sober but most of all found out that elluding answer for my depresion.I also went ahead and took help from a psychiatrist,who prescribed me anti depressant which helped me trmendosly.I also learnt 1. never to be alone,always be among people. 2)learnt to medtate n pray 3)learnt to share my feelings with others and God of my understanding.3)always being in touch with my group n psychiatrist 4)Most of all learnt to accept my reality,my strengths and shortcomings,my limitations,my positive side,my real abilities with which I can function and live with people 5)Learnt to be Greatfull in life 7)learnt to forgive self and others.Iam just lucky or given another chance inlife,Iam greatful to all those people who played a role in my life.I pray for the soul of Mr.Wallace to rest in peace at last,for the world to learn from his death that we have to learn to cope and deal with depression on war footing One day at a time.Never ever neglect depression of our loved ones.I learnt it the hard way,but thanks to one and all today life is fun and oriented with daily actvities and responsibilities,not forgetting my prayer and meditation.