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David Foster Wallace on the Endlessly Entertaining Illinois State Fair

A peripatetic feeding frenzy of shaved ice, cotton candy, gyros, stuffed jalepenos, chitlins, Krakkles, funnel cakes, and more.

Peter Smith
By Peter SmithOct 18, 2010
Peter Smith
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In 1994, David Foster Wallace visited the Illinois State Fair and discovered the smell of armpits and Coppertone and a peripatetic feeding frenzy of shaved ice, cotton candy, gyros, stuffed jalepenos, chitlins, Krakkles, funnel cakes, and more.

Whether you make it to any state fair this year or not, it's worth re-reading a "Ticket to the Fair." He also read a portion of the piece in 2000:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8aDTrU4ffk

mediacultureliteraturedavid-foster-wallacedfwstate-fairfood and drink

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