An event at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on April 28, 2011 will feature monologues from David Foster Wallace’s unfinished novel “The Pale King.” If you’re in LA, think of attending.
Almost three years ago now, beloved author David Foster Wallace committed suicide and left an unfinished novel behind, which he variously referred to as “Gliterrer,” “The Long Thing,” “SJF (Sir John Feelgood),” “What is Peoria For?” Certain chapters or segments were published as short fiction in the New Yorker and Harper’s. Wallace never felt that he quite got a handle on the book, especially after he stopped taking his medication.
Nevertheless, several reviews have called “The Pale King” a quite extraordinary work: by turns, hilarious, maddeningly boring, beautiful and breathtaking. Having read the short fiction segments, I can attest to this (even though I’m not a huge Wallace fan). The first very brief chapter was published as “Peoria(4)” in TriQuarterly and is staggeringly beautiful.
Wallace was interested in elevating boredom to a sublime and heroic endeavor, so it should be interesting to see how these performances transmogrify his words into three dimensions upon a stage.
The event, presented by PEN USA and hosted by Los Angeles Times book critic David Ulin will feature performances by Henry Rollins, Rosmarie Dewitt (“Rachel Getting Married”), Josh Radnor (“How I Met Your Mother”), Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace”), Nick Offerman (“Parks & Recreation”), Adam Scott (“Parks & Recreation,” ”The Aviator”), amongst others.
Tickets can be purchased through the Saban Theater at 323-655-0111 or through Ticketmaster.
For more information, check out the event’s Facebook page.
