We're talking about David Foster Wallace's first novel The Broom of the System. Come out to talk about the book or recommend a future read. 7:30 pm at the [Bookworm] (http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijing/listings/dining/cafes/has/the-bookworm/). Here's a brief synopsis from [curledup.com] (http://www.curledup.com/broom.htm).

"The Broom of the System is the first novel by David Foster Wallace, whose Infinite Jest had the book world all abuzz a few years ago. Certainly more accessible in length than Infinite Jest, The Broom of the System is slightly less confusing and very nearly as entertaining. This is a narrative-less novel, a tale told sans exposition. Chapters are in transcript form, stream-of-consciousness monologues, one-sided conversations (with replies indicated by ellipses), and feverishly cathartic short stories invented by characters.

Like Infinite Jest, The Broom of the System deals with a ridiculously dysfunctional family, focusing on one member -- in this case, Lenore Beadsman. Lenore, heiress to the Stonecipheco baby food fortune, works as a switchboard operator for the laughably unprofitable publishing house of Frequent and Vigorous in Cleveland, Ohio. She's estranged from her father, rarely sees her odd assortment of siblings, and her mother has been institutionalized for years. The only family member she's remotely close to is her great-grandmother and namesake Lenore, and she (Lenore Sr.) has gone missing from her nursing home, along with twenty- five other residents and a few staff members. The whole disappearance is ominously connected to a pineal additive Stonecipheco is developing. Her (Lenore Jr.'s) father cajoles her into searching for Lenore (Sr.), who has apparently absconded with the research materials."

For background Interview with DFW on the Charlie Rose show in 1997

Here's a [Rolling Stone piece on the time leading up to DFW's suicide] (http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/23638511/the_lost_years__last_days_of_david_foster_wallace)

[Here's a review of the book when it was published.] (http://www.smallbytes.net/~bobkat/broom1.html)

Here's another

Here also is a link to a graduation speech that he gave not long before his death.