While on a February trip to Texas, I made plans to visit the Ransom center. It required applying and watching an orientation video, then when I wanted to see the actual papers, I showed my ID, got a locker for my bag, but could keep my laptop and phone and got a short orientation. I had also made a request for a folder of David Foster Wallace’s notes on corrections. So they pulled that while someone was explaining how it worked to get and use material. One of the rules is that while you can take pictures (no flash, no noise), you can’t post them anywhere. I took a few to help my memory.
It is awesome to read the notes that DFW made to himself on a yellow notepad. Felt like I was connecting with him, author-to-author. Neat way to start looking at the collection. I struggled to figure out how to request more, but finally managed it.
I had a friendly conversation with the receptionist person about DFW. I decided to explain that I’m a novelist doing research on a character who is researching DFW, rather than trying to pretend that I’m doing deep research myself. Her book club finished a six-month reading of Infinite Jest. When she asked about the name of the father—which I didn’t remember either—I turned the conversation to the wheelchair assassins. Yep, don’t have to answer people’s actual questions. She assured me I could leave my laptop in the reading room when I go to the restroom. “There’s no need to bring it with.” Hmm, okay, I guess.
Came across a letter from DFW about Infinite Jest and the layout of the section titles (which are long) where he was complaining that the changed layout made an already difficult book more difficult to read. My favorite comment was, “I’m finding a bunch of typos and clunkers I’d missed in all 17 previous drafts, and am fixing them on the proofs. None of the changes are more than a clause, though – there’s no new paragraphs or anything.” It fits with how many drafts I do myself, but at least my books aren’t 1200 pages long. Yikes.