A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments, by David Foster Wallace, paperback, 368 pages, 9 x 6 x 1 inches, 12.8 ounces, Back Bay Books, list price: $14.99
Despite a staggering intellect and talent that set him apart, the writer David Foster Wallace was by all accounts a determinedly decent and humble everyman. His death this year, at the unbearably young age of 46, was not just an impossible loss to his family and friends, but also to the literary world. For a moment, at least, it felt like the extinguishing of thought itself, and of promise and art and passionate curiosity. For some of us, the only way to salve the sadness was to bathe in Wallace's exuberant writing. Any of his published works would do, but this essential collection of his journalistic pieces — now more than 10 years in print — is particularly alive with laughter and fearless invention. The man burned brightly, and, as gifts go, he gave generously. This season or any other, you couldn't do better than to pass along his flame.
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