https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u Do lobsters feel pain? Did Franz Kafka have a funny bone? What is John Updike's deal, anyway? And what happens when adult video starlets meet their fans in person? en-us 2017-03-31 21:39:21 UTC 2023-02-09 04:31:51 UTC hello@padlet.com jacobkw10 https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164075082 This book was outright fantastic. David Foster Wallace's extreme attention to detail and prose is an absolute treat. He explores caveats of civilization from far and beyond in ways that genuinely widens your eyes in a way that isn't preachy or "Look at me, I'm such a genius, adore me!" sort of way. Instead, Wallace provides a truly empathetic portrait of the subjects he writes about in his essays, letting the reader draw their own conclusions while still being questioned in a significant, interior-thinking way, if that makes any semblance of sense. What's wonderful with this book is that in [almost] every essay there are footnotes, containing extra information pertaining to the stories. While you may not *need* to read them, they sure do add a lot to the overall experience of the book. Wallace takes the time to explore each and every issue in all of their complicated glories, horrors, or sorrows. The reason I hesitate from giving it a 10 is because I couldn't help but feel that [while I appreciated it] the extensive, almost exhaustive amount of time he spends obsessing over each and every individual detail made me lose my attention numerous amounts of times. That, and the ridiculous amount of footnotes on each and every page falls into the same trap; it was just a chore sometimes. It's DFW's unique and enchanting voice that kept me the most interested, no matter how dull the topic at hand had been driven into the dirt. I would highly, highly, highly recommend this book. The highest compliment I could give it is that it offered me new perspectives that I had not even thought of previously. I find it enormously engrossing that each idea is fully arced and explored to the deepest of their abilities and in a way that doesn't sell them to you cheap, either. An achievement and something that I will revisit and recommend long down the line.]]> 2017-03-31 22:57:01 UTC https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164075082 jacobkw10 https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164075126 2017-03-31 22:58:27 UTC https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164075126 jacobkw10 https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164076275 2017-03-31 23:30:35 UTC https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164076275 jacobkw10 https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164076382 exploring humanistic pleasure tangled with animal abuse. Wallace explores every facet of the argument regarding boiling lobsters alive to cook them and eat them for human enjoyment. Wallace describes this process beat by beat, not only describing how they're cooked, but how they're captured, eaten, and celebrated. Most importantly is the big question, a question that he never truly seems to answer, instead he only ponders: Do lobsters feel pain? ]]> 2017-03-31 23:34:38 UTC https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164076382 jacobkw10 https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164079636 In Wallace's first essay in 'Consider the Lobster', "Big Red Son," about the adult video industry, centered mostly around the AVN (Adult Video News) awards and the people involved in the industry. The stars & starlets, the fans, the directors and producers, the outside world. Within this essay, Wallace mentions how the people attending the AVN awards worships Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Boogie Nights', a 1997 film about the porn industry. Despite it featuring the characters in an almost pathetic, cynical and satirical light, the porn industry embraced it with open arms. Wallace mentioned how there were rumors of PTA showing up at the awards, no matter how incognito. This article below shows a bit about what David Foster Wallace had to say about PTA and 'Boogie Nights', at least on record. Paul also talks about his own experience with Wallace, which is an extra treat for anyone who may be a fan of Wallace and/or Anderson.]]> 2017-04-01 01:28:24 UTC https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164079636 jacobkw10 https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164080221 2017-04-01 01:44:55 UTC https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164080221 jacobkw10 https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164080369 This book is a collection of essays. It is not a traditional novel. For the purpose of brevity, I, the author of this project, Jake Kwiatkowski, have chosen to only talk about a handful of the essays within. There's no clear theme connecting any of them, other than possibly just an exploration of Americana and the human condition. There are 10 different essays all about different things, so if I were to apply this project to each individual essay then it might possibly kill me.]]> 2017-04-01 01:51:24 UTC https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164080369 jacobkw10 https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164123820 "Is it right to boil a sentient creature alive just for our gustatory pleasure?" ]]> 2017-04-01 19:52:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164123820 jacobkw10 https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164127040 [ This would be for a major internal/external conflict found in the novel ] In the last essay of the book, and one of the most fascinating portraits, Wallace dipped his toes into political journalism with spending a week on the 2000 campaign trail with Senator John McCain. In this essay, Wallace explores his campaign strategy, the idea and image of a "politician," and the ins and outs of the American voter. Wallace makes a sentiment inquiring why voters who were at McCain's rallies became so uproarious with praise when McCain said that he was committed to telling people the truth. Voters have always had a bad history with politicians, with failed policies, lying, etc. which leads voters to naturally have a thick defensive shell to politics. McCain's odd strategy of admitting things haven't been great but still promising a large stature somehow brought voters to be in wonder. That in effect is the external conflict, and the internal conflict can be found within McCain himself, trying to adapt to a world that is constantly changing in order to win his campaign.]]> 2017-04-01 20:29:49 UTC https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164127040 jacobkw10 https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164135002 2017-04-02 00:34:52 UTC https://padlet.com/jacobkw10/i1ts23iv0z2u/wish/164135002