The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2006 [Kenyon Commencement Address].

WALLACE, David Foster.

Item Number: 126763

Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.

First edition in which the first appearance of David Foster Wallace’s now famous commencement address given at Kenyon College. Octavo, original illustrated wrappers. Signed by David Foster Wallace in the table of contents. In very good condition. Rare, especially signed by Foster Wallace.

The commencement speech given by David Foster Wallace at Kenyon College on May 21, 2005 covers subjects including "the difficulty of empathy," "the importance of being well adjusted," and "the essential lonesomeness of adult life." Additionally, Wallace’s speech suggests that the overall purpose of higher education is to be able to consciously choose how to perceive others, think about meaning, and act appropriately in everyday life. He argues that the true freedom acquired through education is the ability to be adjusted, conscious, and sympathetic.