David Lynch Keeps His Head

by David Foster Wallace

Unknown Binding

Published September 1, 1996

About the author

David Foster Wallace was an acclaimed American writer known for his fiction, nonfiction, and critical essays that explored the complexities of consciousness, irony, and the human condition. Widely regarded as one of the most innovative literary voices of his generation, Wallace is perhaps best known for his 1996 novel Infinite Jest, which was listed by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels published between 1923 and 2005. His unfinished final novel, The Pale King, was published posthumously in 2011 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Born in Ithaca, New York, Wallace was raised in Illinois, where he excelled as both a student and a junior tennis player—a sport he later wrote about with sharp insight and humor. He earned degrees in English and philosophy from Amherst College, then completed an MFA in creative writing at the University of Arizona. His early academic work in logic and philosophy informed much of his writing, particularly in his blending of analytical depth with emotional complexity.
Wallace’s first novel, The Broom of the System (1987), established his reputation as a fresh literary talent. Over the next two decades, he published widely in prestigious journals and magazines, producing short stories, essays, and book reviews that earned him critical acclaim. His work was characterized by linguistic virtuosity, inventive structure, and a deep concern for moral and existential questions. In addition to fiction, he tackled topics ranging from tennis and state fairs to cruise ships, politics, and the ethics of food consumption.
Beyond his literary achievements, Wallace had a significant academic career, teaching literature and writing at Emerson College, Illinois State University, and Pomona College. He was known for his intense engagement with students and commitment to teaching.
Wallace struggled with depression and addiction for much of his adult life, and he was hospitalized multiple times. He died by suicide in 2008 at the age of 46. In the years since his death, his influence has continued to grow, inspiring scholars, conferences, and a dedicated readership. However, his legacy is complicated by posthumous revelations of abusive behavior, particularly during his relationship with writer Mary Karr, which has led to ongoing debate within literary and academic communities.
His distinctive voice—by turns cerebral, comic, and compassionate—remains a defining force in contemporary literature. Wallace once described fiction as a way of making readers feel "less alone inside," and it is that emotional resonance, alongside his formal daring, that continues to define his place in American letters.

Reviews

[Gert De Bie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wat een pen, wat een scherpe blik! Heerlijk hoe David Foster Wallace ons blijft verbazen.

Na een korte, droge inleiding waarom hij in 1996 op de set van Lost Highway werd toegelaten, (omdat hij allesbehalve een journalist is) vervolgt DFW:

2. What David Lynch is really like
I HAVE NO IDEA. I rarely got closer than five feet away from him and never talked to him.

en meteen is de toon voor heel het stuk gezet.

DFW schrijft met scherpe en opmerkzame pen over zijn ervaringen op de set van Lost Highway, geeft speels wat biografische informatie over Lynch en interpreteert zo zijn carrière en de mogelijke betekenis daarvan. Hij probeert David Lynch en zijn positie in de wereld van de film vast te pinnen en geeft tussendoor hilarische en scherpzinnige uitweidingen over Hollywood, de filmindustrie, types mensen en hoe het er op de set aan toe gaat.

Voor het eerst in ons bestaan hebben we een verhaal geluisterd, waardoor er links of rechts wel iets verloren zal gegaan zijn, maar ook gesproken is de pen van DFW om van te smullen, bij te lachen en iets om ontiegelijk enthousiast over te zijn. Bij deze!

[Carlitos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprised that it took so long for me to read. One of my favorite authors writing at length about my favorite movie director. And it's pretty much what I'd hoped it would be. DFW has interesting and founded takes on a director whose career hadn't even reached its peak yet. And still DFW manages to hit the nail on the head. The trivia tidbits and obscure references that get explained are a nice addition. Recommended for every cinephile.

[zicwic · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Foster Wallace was one of the greats. Even if I've seen multiple interviews with him, I still imagine him as a gigantic eyeball floating through spaces and zeitgest. Reading him feels like you're out of your body, you wouldn't believe how strangely in tune you could connect to a cultural moment you never thought about.

In the case of David Lynch Keeps His Head, the author guides us towards an exterior shooting location (the pissing patterns of the director, the relationships between people on the shoot, the archetypal looks and fits of the technicians and crew, gossip from one actor in particular, etc.) AND the reason Lynch's work connected so much (from connecting to Americana, defining metamodern storytelling, what it is to be lynchian, how it feeds into the culture of his time, what it brought about, etc.)... He packed so much so acutely, even a Lynchead like myself - there's no official card for such a title, I'm just taking myself too seriously - was blown away by his perspective.

[Andre Lendi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Journalism that ai could never.

[Lannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

But different kinds of movies use this power in different ways.

Art film is essentially teleological. It tries, in various ways, to wake the audience up, or render us more conscious. [...]

You could say that a commercial movie doesn't try to wake people up, but rather to make their sleep so comfortable, and their dreams so pleasant, that they will fork over money to experience it.

DFW approaches the set of Lynch's "Lost Highway" and reports, as he so often does, on anything and everything that comes to mind. Most of this essay, cut from its other pieces, seems less about Lynch and his surroundings and more about judgmental gossiping about the various Other People who crawl around behind the scenes. It's hard not to wonder how DFW gets away with characterizing certain looks, facial hair, earrings, and minor behaviors with the implications of entire personalities, as if he himself is a giant child playing with dolls. He's great at it, though. And you can't help but feel connected to the Then of the situation. You get a coppery taste of the blood of the moment.

It's also very interesting to hear him talk about how much lawless "cribbing" Tarantino (et al.) have done to Lynch's work when, as far as I can tell, "Lost Highway" itself is a response to the Hollywood machine's lawless cribbing of Lynch's work. DFW is telling us (or at least me) about an idea that Lynch will manifest into a film—there very film DFW is watching the process of. He never makes this connection, because, of course, he hasn't seen the movie yet. He doesn't know what it will be about, in the end, despite a myriad of disparate quotes from cast and crew. The fact that he somehow manages to touch on the theme anyway has a strange sort of psychic glow to it. It makes you think, if he can intuit the plot of a surrealist Lynch film just from hanging out on set for a few days, maybe he's not so childish in his judgments of the people around him.

On Lynch, DFW has many insightful things to say, but I think the essay reaches its peak insightfulness near the end when he muses about art films and commercial films. I especially like the lines about how art films can risk being pretentious or bad, but they have a large heart.

[Lynch] seems more interested in penetrating your head than what he does once he's in there. Is this good art? It's hard to say.

[Chiara Giacobelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Questo saggio di Foster Wallace, che prende in esame sia la realizzazione di "Strade perdute" sia il cinema di Lynch più in generale, è a mio parere un'ottima lettura per gli addetti ai lavori, mentre risulta ostica a chi non abbia ampie conoscenze cinematografiche. Lo scrittore fa infatti una lunga serie di rimandi a registi, attori, sceneggiatori, movimenti precedenti e futuri, cosicché è arduo seguire il filo delle connessioni se non si destreggia molto bene la materia. Occorre inoltre avere una buona preparazione sul cinema di Lynch e aver visto i suoi film almeno 3 o 4 volte per riuscire a cogliere i tanti dettagli e i collegamenti messi in campo. Dunque di certo un testo interessante, ma per pochi.

E' vero che ci sono anche parti meno tecniche in cui l'autore racconta il dietro le quinte del set, alcune delle quali sono anche piuttosto spassone, come nel tipico stile ironico di Foster Wallace. Tuttavia, la loro utilità e rilevanza ai fini di una conoscenza più approfondita tanto del regista quanto del suo cinema è molto limitata. Si tratta più che altro di capitoli di colore pensati per divertire il lettore, ma fini a sé stessi.

In Italia l'articolo, uscito in prima battuta sulla rivista americana Premiere, fa parte della raccolta "Tennis, tv, trigonometria, tornado (e altre cose divertenti che non farò mai più)", dove occupa parecchie pagine. Consiglio di leggerla dopo aver visto almeno i principali film citati - specialmente quelli di Lynch - ed essersi preparati sui movimenti di cui si parla.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing I have read from Wallace... though I have been meaning to for years.  I wanted to read the Lynch essay as I just finished re-watching all three seasons of Twin Peaks and will start the two Twin Peaks books by Mark Frost next.  And wow, not only does Wallace "know" Lynch, but he throws a bunch of other pop culture in there too.  And even just the paragraph he writes about the purpose of films is perfection.  So far, I am impressed and this makes me look forward to his writing even more.   I just wish he had been around to see the third season of Twin Peaks.  I would have loved to hear what he thought of it.  I always had an inkling that Wallace had MY definition of what galaxy brain is:  being able to juggle many bits and pieces of knowledge and think of them at the same time while seeing how they connect.  This essay is not disproving my theory.  

[Pavel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, DFW. No one could paint a better picture of Lynch’s LA, the people around him, and explain to us his expressionism, darkness, and the second season of Twin Peaks. I wish you had watched season three, Mr. Wallace.

P.S. Tarantino is interested in someone’s ear being cut off; David Lynch is interested in an ear. (C)

[sage young · Rating 5 out of 5]

i miss both david lynch and dfw as if they were close personal friends. i would give literally anything to just have a conversation with either of them. reread this in class when i should’ve been learning about sound editing techniques

[Meunocyber · Rating 4 out of 5]

ova analiza linča i linčevskog je skroz promjenila način na koji posmatram Tarantina i film generalno

[amaranta · Rating 4 out of 5]

professor, dfw é um autor do bem ou do mal? HE'S BOTH

[Max Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love you DFW and I love you David Lynch and now you’re both dead and I want to cry.










.

Balthazar Getty

[Paul Royar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook.

[javier zamora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Quentin Tarantino le interesa ver cómo a alguien le cortan la oreja. A David Lynch le interesa la oreja.

[Mister Frog · Rating 5 out of 5]

This essay was fabulous except that Tarantino comment looked too pretentious, captured many essence of Lynch movies. I liked how according to Wallace, Lynch is a postmodern Messiah lol!

[Bailey Coppage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rest In Peace