Dave Eggers




Washington University freshmen will be familiar with Eggers' tale of a family tragedy, as they are reading his best-selling memoir, "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius," for English Composition class. "Dave Eggers' book was a grand experiment for us," explained Amy Pawl, adjunct assistant professor in the English department. "We wanted to get the first-year students talking about a common text; we picked Eggers' memoir because we felt its uncommon combination of literary seriousness and pop culture playfulness would spark debates on a range of topics, from family dynamics to media culture to the role of writing in making sense of the world."

Unusual in its tone and style, the book has received considerable literary attention. New York Times' Michiko Kakutani described Eggers' story as "a virtuosic piece of writing, a big daring, manic-depressive stew of a book."

Before publishing his first book, Eggers was the editor of a San Francisco magazine entitled Might, known for its satiric stunts and off-the-wall subject matter. The magazine folded in 1997, and Eggers now is editor of McSweeney's, a groundbreaking literary journal that publishes esoteric pieces by writers such as David Foster Wallace and Rick Moody. Each issue of McSweeney' is designed as an individual work of art (Issue #4, for example, consists of 14 individually designed miniature books contained in a customized box.)

Note: Seating will be limited to the public to give priority seating to WU students and faculty.





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