Index to David Lipsky's Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace

As far as I'm concerned, the only thing missing from David Lipsky's excellent book-length interview with one of the greatest novelists and essayists who ever lived is an index. A few days after devouring the book in two epic sittings, I wanted to reread a passage that had particularly resonated with me, only to spend several minutes flipping through half the book to find it. This resulted in me unexpectedly rereading a lot more of the book than I'd planned to, so I decided to read through the entire book a second time and take some notes. Twenty pages in I realized I was creating an informal index, so I decided to go all the way.

The result is below. I'm not an indexer by profession so it's far from perfect, but I hope (re)readers of the book may find it useful. There are a few formatting oddities,* so anyone who would prefer a nicely formatted two-column PDF should leave me a comment and I'll happily email it to you. Comments suggesting corrections and/or additions are also welcome (and in fact encouraged). Enjoy!

Index

Adler, Renata, 187, 216
African Americans, 45, 309-310
airline safety guide, 94-95, 98. See also flying
alcohol, 59-60, 62-63, 65, 137, 139, 142-143, 146-147, 189, 227, 229. See also
MMdrugs
Alcoholics Anonymous. See twelve-step program
Alien (film), 67
Allen, Woody, 165-166
Always (film), 167, 201
Amherst College, 46, 51-52, 60, 123, 165, 223-224, 265
Amis, Martin, 31, 102
Amos, Tori, 306
Angels (novel), 200
antidepressants, xvi-xvii, 65, 236
“Anonymiad” (story), 187
anxiety, 129, 155
appearance, physical, xv, 284-285. See also attractiveness; bandannas
Appointment in Samarra (novel), 98
Arachnophobia (film), 205
Arizona, 47-48, 60, 224, 225. See also University of Arizona
art, 71-72, 91, 167-168, 199, 203; versus entertainment, 80-81, 174, 199. See also
MMentertainment
Art Fair, The (novel), 206
athletics, 52, 55, 56, 63, 120, 152, 262. See also tennis
Attenborough, Richard, 205-206
attractiveness, 89, 93-94
Auburndale Health Club, 234
Austin, Tracy, 53

“Balloon, The” (story), 72
bandannas, 295-296
Bangs, Lester, 72
Barth, John, 4, 63, 226. See also “Anonymiad”; “Lost in the Funhouse”
Barthelme, Donald, 72, 259
Batman (TV show), 148, 149
Baywatch (TV show), 199
Begley, Adam, 58
Bell, Madison Smartt, 21
biography, 46
Birkerts, Sven, 223, 253
Blade Runner (film), 197, 198
Bloom, Harold, 127
Bloomington, Illinois, 44-46, 106, 193, 198, 220, 266-267, 297, 300, 308
Blue Velvet (film), 169, 170-171, 172-173
Blues Brothers, The (film), 181
Blythe, Will, 24, 193-194
Bolin, Tommy, 210
book tour. See public readings
Boston, Massachusetts, 239
Boswell, Robert, 47, 264, 265
Boyle, T. Coraghessan, 282
Braveheart (film), 168-169, 208
Brazil (film), 172
Broadcast News (film), 201
Broken Arrow (film), 122-123, 203-204
Brooks, Albert, 201
Brooks, James L., 201
Broom of the System, 10, 22, 34, 35-36, 46-47, 64, 110, 115, 126, 227, 248,
MM258-259, 260-261, 262-263, 264-266
Buchanan, Pat, 158, 162
Burns, George, 269
Burroughs, Edgar Rice, 51
Bush, 210, 222

Caan, James, 69
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The (film), 170
Cameron, James, 166
car, 266, 302-303
Cavell, Stanley, 236
centered temperament, having a, 187-188
Chabon, Michael, 109
Chapman, Tracy, 212
children, 303, 307
Childress, Mark, 250
civic responsibility, 161
Clapton, Eric, 210
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (film), 167, 205
Cobain, Kurt, 213
colleagues, university, 9
comic books, 169
Conn, Charis, xxi, 29, 99, 178, 249, 251, 272
Conroy, Frank, 282
consciousness, 37-38; fractured, 39-40, 290-292
Costello, Mark, xix, xx, xxv-xxvi, 25, 140, 150, 178, 213, 226, 230, 247, 249, 251,
MM258, 259, 260, 272, 279, 280
Crimson Tide (film), 207
Crow, Sheryl, 211, 212

Dalkey Archive Press, 140
dancing, 309
“David Lynch Keeps His Head,” 169, 173, 288
DeLillo, Don, 40, 104, 251, 273, 287
Die Hard (film), 80
DiFranco, Ani, 306
Diner (film), 272
dipping tobacco, 100, 126, 145, 291-292
disingenuousness, 23, 41-42, 59, 69, 144, 173, 183, 264
Dixon, Franklin W., 169
dogs, xviii, xix, 1, 4, 88, 97, 106, 120, 219-220, 222, 225, 227, 233, 234, 238,
MM241-242, 243, 244, 250-251, 268, 269, 275, 278, 287-288, 290, 291-292,
MM297, 301
Donner, Richard, 166
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor, 82
Drew, Nancy (children’s book character), 169
drinking. See alcohol
drugs, 54, 57-58, 60, 81, 137-139, 145, 189, 262. See also alcohol;
MMantidepressants; pharmaceuticals; vitamins
Dune (film), 171-172

electroshock therapy, xviii, 65, 67
Ellis, Bret Easton, 22
Emerson College, 235, 236
emotional states. See anxiety; centered temperament, having a; fear; loneliness;
MMself-consciousness; selfishness; shyness; suicide, thoughts/mention of;
MMunhappiness
English Patient, The (novel and film), 202
Eno, Brian, 210, 222
entertainment: addiction to, 81-82, 145, 147, 155-156, 274; as it defines his
MMgeneration, 86; purpose of, 79; seductive quality of, 79-80. See also art;
MMInternet; television
envy of other writers, 23-24, 32, 179-180
Enya, 222
Eraserhead (film), 172
Erickson, Steve, 22
escorts, for public readings, 12, 107-114, 280, 283. See also public readings
exhibitionism, 16
experimental/avant-garde fiction, 31, 36, 38-39, 63, 70-71, 91, 141, 170-171,
MM172, 173-174, 175, 231-232. See also writing

fame and celebrity, 6, 18-21, 24-26, 32, 44, 179-180, 183-185, 194, 297-298, 304;
MMas a result of hype, 13; benefits of, 11-12, 126, 133, 307; difficulties of, 3, 132,
MM191, 275-276, 283; hollowness of, 25, 74, 231, 256; lure of, 19-20, 74, 130,
MM132, 186-187, 188, 190-191, 196; other peoples’, 225, 307-308. See also envy
MMof other writers; hype; success/achievement
fantasy fiction, 51
fashion magazines, x, 26, 211
fate, tempting, 94
fear, 291-292
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (film), 208
fiction, 289-290. See also reading; writing
film, 71, 72, 77-79, 121, 163, 176-177, 181, 199-209, 236, 267; directors, 16,
MM203-204
Firm, The (film), 204
flying, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97-98; catalogs on airplanes, 97, 101
food, 20-21, 48-49, 84, 85, 136, 142, 174-175, 221, 267-268. See also soft drinks
Four Rooms (film), 206
Franzen, Jonathan, xvii, xviii, xxi-xxii, 25, 27, 93, 104-105, 239, 249, 250, 272
Freeman, Morgan, 209
Friends (TV show), 106

Gates, David, 31
Generation X, 86, 158, 159-162, 211, 296; not feeling like a part of, 162
“Getting Away from Pretty Much Being Away from It All,” 242, 243
Gilligan’s Island (TV show), 75
girlfriends. See relationships, romantic
Girl with Curious Hair, 26, 60, 64, 224-225, 226-227, 228-229
Glengarry Glen Ross (film), 202
Glory (film), 208-209
Graham, Nan, 202, 251, 279
Gravity’s Rainbow (novel), 259, 273
Griffith, Melanie, 127
Guggenheim Fellowship, 265
Guy Named Joe, A (film), 167

Hamlet (play), 6
Hardy Boys, the, 51, 169
Harper’s essays, xxi, 41-42, 52, 126, 215, 223, 231. See also “Getting Away from
MMPretty Much Being Away from it All”; “Tennis, Trigonometry, Tornadoes: A
MMMidwestern Boyhood”
Hartz, Louis, 159
Harvard University, 60, 68, 139, 226, 227, 228, 229, 236
Harvey, PJ, 306
Hawke, Ethan, 98-99
Hawkes, John, 54
Hayek, Friedrich August von, 158
Heinlein, Robert, 98, 306
Henry, DeWitt, 235
“Here and There,” 263-264
Higgins, John Michael, 123, 308
Hill, Fred, 264, 265
Hill, George Roy, 181-182
Hill Street Blues (TV show), 150-151
Hit, The (film), 206
Hobbes, Thomas, 88
Hogan, Hulk, 121
Holmes, Amy, 184
homosexuality, 44-45, 97, 176, 181, 268
Hopkins, Anthony, 176
hotels, 280-281
Howard, Gerry, 226-227, 248, 265-266,
hype, 13, 18, 26-28, 129, 186, 193-195, 212, 250, 255, 278; the author’s paradox
MMof, 30-31, 90, 305; participation in, 89-90, 165;. See also fame and celebrity;
MMsuccess/achievement

ice scrapers, 77, 302
Illinois State University, 6-9, 192, 242, 243-244
impressions, vocal, 258-259
Infinite Jest: and addiction, 80-82, 138-139, 144, 156, 157; autobiographical
MMaspects (or lack of) in, 143-144; as a book about America, 81-82, 156, 270;
MMcharacters in, 54, 55-56, 65-66, 112, 138-139, 146, 156, 157-158, 179, 189,
MM242, 254; copyediting of, 248-249; cover of, 95-96, 250, 253; as a difficult
MMread, 29, 30-31, 270, 271, 273; editing of, 27, 103, 140, 180, 245-247, 250,
MM252-253; events in, 67; film of, 14-15; as a fun read, 36, 79, 271, 272-273;
MMfuture setting of, 56, 136-137; ideas within, 82-83, 191; imagining ideal
MMreaders of, 272, 273; interacting with fans of, 274-276; length of, 78, 103,
MM245-246, 270-271; monetary advance for, 240-241, 242; pride in, 26, 34;
MMprintings of, 103; process of writing, 9-10, 24, 32, 33-35, 69, 70, 77-78, 100,
MM134-135, 222-223, 235, 237-240, 241, 242, 244-245, 271-272; quality of,
MM30-31, 92, 186-187, 232; quotations from, 254-255; reasons for writing,
MM252; reviews of, 24, 29-30, 92, 136, 185, 193-194, 223, 253, 271, 286, 299;
MMstructure of, 40, 78; success of, 26-28, 69, 101-102, 184-187, 298-299, 305
insomnia, 65
intelligence, 214-215, 216-219
Internet, 85-86, 87-88, 221. See also entertainment; television
interview process, xi, 12, 69-70, 74, 89, 182-184, 187, 191, 215-216, 218-219,
MM239, 253, 299; no control over, 17-18, 164
INXS, 2
Iowa State University, 94

Janowitz, Tama, 223, 255
Jaws (novel and film), 203, 205
Jaws II (film), 205
Jenks, Tom, 265
Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon (TV show), 152
Johnny Mnemonic (film), 134
Johnson, Denis, 58, 200
“Joseph Frank's Dostoevsky,” 248
Joyce, Michael, 53
Jurassic Park (film), 166-167, 199

Kael, Pauline, 162-163, 168, 173, 197, 199, 202
Kakutani, Michiko, 29, 92
Karr, Mary, xx
Keene, Carolyn, 169
King, Stephen, 83, 273
Kirn, Walter, 29
Klu Klux Klan, 45

Lang, Fritz, 95, 197
Last Boy Scout, The (film), 177
Last of the Mohicans (film), 200-201
Lego toys, 122
Leithauser, Brad, 126, 260
Lelchuk, Alan, 260
Letterman, David, 160, 161, 218, 224-225
Lewis, C. S., 84
Lewis, Huey, 10
Leyner, Mark, 112, 174
Limbaugh, Rush, 158, 160
Linklater, Richard, 98
literary scene, as part of the, 24-26, 193-194, 209-210, 283-284
Little, Brown, xiv, 2, 18, 20, 26, 28, 31, 41, 69, 75, 115, 124, 133, 190, 191, 192,
MM248, 279, 281, 313
“Little Expressionless Animals,” 225
Little Romance, A (film), 181-182
loneliness, xxii, 12, 34, 38, 68, 72, 218, 273, 276, 295
Lord of the Rings, The (novel), 221-222
Lost Boys, The (film), 267
“Lost in the Funhouse” (story), 63. See also Barth, John
Lost Weekend, The (film), 146
Lotus Software Corporation, 230, 232-234, 243
Love Boat, The (TV show), 199
Love Connection (TV show), 90
Lynch, David, 28, 169, 170-173, 175
“Lyndon,” 225

MacDonald, Jeffrey, 164-165
Mailer, Norman, 304
Majors, Lee, 149
Mall of America, 121
Mann, Michael, 69
Mao II (novel), 287
marketing. See hype
marriage, 76, 293. See also relationships
Martone, Michael, 236
masturbation, 84-85, 128. See also pornography; sex
maturity, 84
McInerney, Jay, 185, 194, 195, 286
McLean Hospital, 65, 66, 227, 228, 230, 236, 241, 250
McMillan, Kenneth, 172
Merchant, Natalie, 211-212
metafiction. See experimental/avant-garde fiction
Miami Blues (film), 205
Midwest, the, 77. See also Bloomington, Illinois
Miller, Mark Crispin, 236
Miller’s Crossing (film), 46
Mitsubishi Group, 267
Moby-Dick (novel), 49, 205
money, 2-3, 13-15, 31, 66-67, 80, 86, 124-125, 176, 192-193, 227, 240-241,
MM242, 246
Moody, Rick, 250
Moonlighting (TV show), 177
Moore, Lorrie, 194, 195
Moore, Steve, 140, 246
Morissette, Alanis, 127, 210-211, 212, 301, 306-308
music, 71, 72, 198, 209, 210-214, 222, 294, 306, 309
“My Appearance,” 218, 224-225
My Dinner with Andre (film), 164
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (TV show), 123

Nabokov, Vladimir, 126, 141-142, 187, 216, 258, 259, 273. See also Pnin
Nadell, Bonnie, xiii, xiv, xxxi, 27, 230, 240, 245, 249, 250, 265, 279, 286,
MM288, 293
New York City, 223
New York Times, 29, 73, 129, 228, 273, 283, 299
New York Times Book Review, 256
Nirvana, 213, 222

O’Connor, Flannery, 81, 198
O’Hara, Frank, 169
Osborne, Joan, 211, 212
O’Toole, Peter, 109-110, 111

Palance, Jack, 237
Parker, Andy, 261
Passaro, Vince, 31
Penner, Jonathan, 263-264
Peoples, David Webb, 197
Pepsi/Diet Pepsi, 6, 50-51, 91, 188
pharmaceuticals, 119
Phillips, Jayne Anne, 24
philosophy, study of, 35-36, 48, 62, 214, 226, 229, 236, 260, 261, 302
Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR), 54, 119
Pietsch, Michael, xiv, 27, 56, 70, 78, 95, 103, 140, 180, 192, 240, 245-246, 247,
MM248, 249, 250, 251, 271, 293, 299
Pink Floyd, 210
Pnin (novel), 126-127
poetry, 36, 91, 117
popular culture. See entertainment; television
pornography, 83, 226, 281. See also masturbation; sex
postmodern fiction. See experimental/avant-garde fiction
power (political), 88, 158
Powers, Richard, 94, 246
Princeton University, 60, 226
puberty, 55, 56, 128
public readings, xxix-xxx, 5, 98-99, 106-117, 130-131, 228, 274-275, 276-287
Puig, Manuel, 261
Pulp Fiction (film), 177

Raiders of the Lost Ark (film), 205
Ratner’s Star (novel), 273
Rawls, John, 68
reading, 68, 91-92, 155, 209, 260; decline of, 288-289; as entertainment, 79;
MMexperimental fiction, 71-72; father’s effect on his, 51; other people, 51-52;
MMparents, 49-50; as a youngster, 51, 52
readings. See public readings
Reagan, Ronald, 159
realism, 36-37
Reed, Ralph, 161
relationships, 85, 134, 135, 275-276; romantic, xx, 76-77, 96-97, 154, 155, 190,
MM239, 244, 251, 259, 264, 278, 293-294
religion, 82, 83, 295
R.E.M., 125, 212, 219
Reservoir Dogs (film), 206-207
Rice, Anne, 273
Road to Serfdom, The (book), 158
Robinson, Marilynne, 260
Roth, Philip, 78
Roth, Tim, 206
Ryan, Michael, xxxii, 234

Salinger, J. D., 83
Saturday Night Live (TV show), 213
Schindler’s List (film), 167-168, 202-203
science fiction, 51. See also Heinlein, Robert
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (TV show), 148, 150
Screwtape Letters, The (novel), 215, 216
Scribner (Charles Scribner's Sons), 202, 265
Scrooged (film), 162-163
Seinfeld (TV show), 106
Seven (film), 204
self-consciousness, 1-2, 18-19, 129, 131, 178, 184, 218, 284, 296
selfishness, 293
sex, 5, 11-12, 34, 156. See also masturbation; pornography
Shane (film), 237
sharks, 267
shopping, 122. See also money
shyness, 97, 111, 150, 152, 305; as form of self-absorption, 16
Signifying Rappers, 110, 213, 226, 247
Silverblatt, Michael, 31
Six Million Dollar Man, The (TV show), 149
Sizemore, Tom, 203
Slap Shot (film), 181
smoking, 10, 43, 54, 70, 104, 109, 117, 125-126, 136, 145, 190, 200, 269,
MM277, 281
Sodom and Gomorrah (film), 123, 155
soft drinks, 221, 267, 269. See also Pepsi/Diet Pepsi
solitude, 77
“Solomon Silverfish,” 173-174
Spacey, Kevin, 176
Spark, Debra, 235
Spielberg, Steven, 166-167, 169, 203, 205
State Farm Insurance, 46, 267
Sting, The (film), 181
success/achievement, 73-74, 101-103, 130, 142-143, 161, 179, 184-187, 192,
MM257, 274, 298-300, 305-306; benefit of, 131-132. See also envy of other
MMwriters; fame and celebrity; hype; Infinite Jest, success of
suicide, thoughts/mention of, 57, 61, 66, 67-68, 70, 147, 188, 196, 217, 227-228,
MM230-231
Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, A, 30, 299
“Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, A,” xxviii, 247, 255-256, 280
Swift, Tom (children’s book character), 51, 169
Syracuse, New York, 239-240, 242, 244

talent, 23
Tarantino, Quentin, 207
Tartt, Donna, 23
teaching, 3, 4-5, 6-8, 47; discussing students’ stories, 8; good writers versus
MMgood teachers, 3
television, 37, 51, 71, 83-85, 86-87, 91, 106, 118, 120, 123, 144, 145, 147-156,
MM175-176, 199, 308; advertising on, 86-87; cartoons, 148. See also
MMentertainment; Internet
tennis, 52-53, 54-55, 56, 151, 153, 179, 221, 223, 235, 254-255, 261-262
“Tennis, Trigonometry, Tornadoes: A Midwestern Boyhood,” 52, 236
Thatcher, Margaret, 127-128
Thief (film), 69
tipping, 23
Tolkien, J.R.R., 51, 222
Tolstoy, Leo, 37-38
True Romance (film), 176-177, 200, 207
Turner, Alice K., 195, 224-225
twelve-step program, 59, 139, 189, 235
Twilight Zone, The (TV show), 98
Twin Peaks (TV show), 171
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (film), 171

Ulysses (novel), 49
Unforgiven (film), 197
unhappiness, 23-24, 59-60, 61, 64, 82, 146-147, 228-229, 237, 259-260, 274
University of Arizona, 46-48, 60, 170, 197, 264, 266
Updike, John, xxxii, 92-93, 111, 118, 132, 163, 170, 187, 257, 285, 301

vampires, 267
Vietnam War, 148
Viking Press, 225, 226-227, 265
vitamins, 221, 269
Vollmann, William, 21, 58, 250

Walken, Christopher, 176
Wallace, David Foster: works discussed. See Broom of the System; “David Lynch
MMKeeps His Head”; “Getting Away from Pretty Much Being Away from It All”;
MMGirl with Curious Hair; Harper’s essays; “Here and There”; “Joseph Frank’s
MMDostoyevsky”; “Little Expressionless Animals”; “Lyndon”; “My Appearance”;
MMSignifying Rappers; “Solomon Silverfish”; Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do
MMAgain, A; “Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, A”; “Tennis,
MMTrigonometry, Tornadoes: A Midwestern Boyhood”; “Westward the Course of
MMEmpire Takes Its Way”
Wallace, James (father), xviii-xix, 48, 49-50, 51, 52, 60, 73, 140, 146, 153, 229,
MM240, 260, 261, 304
Wallace, Sally (mother), xviii-xix, 48, 49, 52, 60, 73, 140, 149, 153, 229, 240, 249,
MM260, 304
Wallace Havens, Amy (sister), xvi-xvii, xix, xxiv, xxxi, 49, 52, 152, 153, 210, 230,
MM245, 249, 251, 302
Washington, Denzel, 207
Welty, Eudora, 234
“Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way,” 61, 62, 63-64, 223, 224,
MM225-226, 229
Whiting Writer’s Award, 234
Who, The, 32
Wild Wild West (TV show), 148, 149
Wild at Heart (film), 171
Willis, Bruce, 177
Wittgenstein’s Mistress (novel), 226
women’s magazines. See fashion magazines
World War Two, 86
writing, 15, 41, 42, 64, 71, 133-134, 170-171, 213, 214, 229, 252, 294-295; advice
MMon, 7, 8; arrogance in his, 47, 174, 214-215; arrogance of, 16; cerebral nature
MMof his, 141; confidence in his own, 32-33, 261, 298-299; and consciousness,
MM37-38, 290-291; crisis of, 61-63; desire (or not) to be a writer, 52; detail in,
MM126; dislike of his own, 62; and drugs/alcohol, 57, 58, 59, 62-63; earliest, 257-
MM258, 259-260; fame’s effect on, 20, 255; habits, 135; illusion of knowledge
MMwithin, 144-145; joy of, 33, 196; pop culture references in, 75-76; process of,
MM151, 218, 236-237, 240; and shyness, 17; worrying (or not) about public
MMreactions to his, 129-130, 252. See also experimental/avant-garde fiction;
MMInfinite Jest, process of writing; reading
Wurtzel, Elizabeth, 5, 65, 67

Yaddo, xiv, 24-25, 32, 59, 60, 142, 194, 197, 223, 224, 256, 295
YMCA, 53
_____________________________________________________________
*I could not for the life of me figure out how to add hanging indents to the index entries that are longer than one line (without altering the CSS code, that is), so I cheated by adding two Ms to the front of each soft-returned line and then changing their font color to white. So if you cut and paste this index (which you're welcome to do) you'll find that it requires some cleanup before you print it out. (And no, this footnote probably isn't strictly necessary, but this being an entry about DFW its presence seemed appropriate, if a bit clichéd.)