Book · 2016 · Tennis

String Theory

David Foster Wallace on Tennis

by David Foster Wallace · Recommended by 2 people on 1 podcast

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What I have on my nightstand right now is motivated by the US Open I have David Foster Wallace's string theory and the book that I have as its companion is the dictionary because his vocabulary was far far greater than mine will ever be.
Alejandro Mayorkas · The Ezra Klein Show · Sep 2024 Listen at 1:00:09

The best things said about it

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Recommended
I have David Foster Wallace's string theory and the book that I have as its companion is the dictionary because his vocabulary was far far greater than mine will ever be.
Ezra Klein The Ezra Klein Show · Sep 2024

Why people recommend it

String Theory by David Foster Wallace is a celebrated collection of essays focused primarily on the world of tennis and the profound psychological experiences of elite athletes. On an episode of The Ezra Klein Show titled The Real ‘Border Czar’ Defends the Biden-Harris Record, which was published on September 13, 2024, the host interviewed Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. During their conversation, the topic shifted briefly to personal reading habits and what the guest was currently perusing at home. Secretary Mayorkas shared that his current reading material was specifically motivated by the excitement surrounding the US Open. He revealed to the audience that he had David Foster Wallace's book sitting right on his nightstand as part of his ongoing reading stack. With a touch of humor, Mayorkas added that he kept a dictionary nearby as a necessary companion volume while reading the collection, noting that Wallace possessed a vocabulary that was far, far greater than his own will ever be. This delightful detail highlights both the intellectual rigor of Wallace's sports journalism and the meticulous, appreciative approach that readers often bring to his distinct and challenging prose style.

Every mention

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Alejandro Mayorkas what I have on my nightstand right now is motivated by the US Open I have David Foster Wallace's string the… 1
Recommended
“what I have on my nightstand right now is motivated by the US Open I have David Foster Wallace's string theory and the book that I have as its companion is the dictionary because his vocabulary was far far greater than mine will ever be”
Ezra Klein I have David Foster Wallace's string theory and the book that I have as its companion is the dictionary bec… 1
Recommended
“I have David Foster Wallace's string theory and the book that I have as its companion is the dictionary because his vocabulary was far far greater than mine will ever be”

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Portraits from Wikimedia Commons: Ezra Klein, SWinxy / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).