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about

Hal Incandenza is one of the main characters in DFW’s novel, “Infinite Jest”. He is also the brother of Mario Incandenza, the subject of Track #2.

Hal Incandenza hasn’t spoken to anyone for 1 year. He has been sent to psychologists, psychiatrists, and doctors of all types. After an array of tests, it is found that he has nothing wrong with him and that he is actually quite brilliant. Although everything seems ok physically, when he tries to speak only unintelligible mumblings come out of his mouth; so he can’t even explain himself or his strange behavior. He has been taken in and out of school, and suffered through frustrated teachers and peers alike. It takes awhile, but we slowly see the person he used to be returning as the story blossoms. We discover that this whole time, this year of non-communication, has to do with one event; and more to the point, one simple thought that entered his mind concerning that event. A thought that his mind has chewed on relentlessly in such a way that rendered him unable to speak and unable to seek help from anyone but himself to come to terms with it. 1 year ago, Hal walked home from school and was the first to discover that his father had committed suicide. And this was no ordinary suicide; it took thought and determination. By careful breaking and cutting, his father had managed to make a hole just big enough for his head to fit inside the microwave door. He knew that the microwave wouldn’t operate without the door and latches being intact and locked in place, so he figured out how to make it work by standing on a chair and doubling over. This way he would be supported while his head was in the microwave, and he would also be able to operate the push buttons on the side of the machine to set a time and start it cooking. His father knew that food cooked in a microwave from the inside out, and that his head would explode like a hot dog without punctures in it. What he didn’t know was how long it would take, so he erred on the side of caution with the time setting. When Hal got home from school he heard the microwave still running. When he got to the kitchen and saw the mess, his first thought was not, “Oh My God!” or “No!” or “Help!” or “Dad killed himself!” The first thought that entered his mind, the thought that had paralyzed him for a year as he heard the microwave running was, “Something smells delicious.”

Aaron Kerr:
This story was incredibly messed up as it was Tyson’s paraphrasing of Hal Incandenza’s encounter with his dead father’s head imploded in a microwave. The last words on the page were “Something smells delicious”. Keeping in mind that I had no idea where the hell this was coming from, I did think at that time that Tyson had possibly lost it. So, after composing something as best I could to this really disturbing image, I decided to send off the cd in something comparably disturbing. Tyson and I work at a place that buys tons of really crusty cds and we have no recourse other than to throw them away, so I sometimes grab the cases and take them home for blank disks (yes, millennials, I still record to cd). I had one case that was a Winnie-the-Pooh album. The title was something like “Winnie-the-Pooh visits the Honeypot” with a very happy Pooh with a honeypot held in one arm and a hand full of honey in the other. I changed the title to “Winnie-the-Pooh Visits Hell”, colored the honey on his hand blood-red (as if he was eating his hand), and made a word caption that had him saying “Oh my god . . .” It was the only sensible response to this story.

credits

from To Combat Loneliness: Compositions Based on the Works of David Foster Wallace, released June 21, 2019
Aaron Kerr--acoustic and electric cello
Tyson Allison--guitar, percussion, synth, piano, bass, drums, chimes

Produced by Tyson Allison and Justin Deleon
Recorded at IPR studios in Minneapolis, MN
Engineered and mixed by Justin Deleon
Mastered by Tom Garneau at AUDIOACTIVE in Minneapolis, MN
Copyright 2019 Humble Mumblings ASCAP

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Emperor Penguin Records Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Emperor Penguin Records began in 2003 in St. Paul, MN and later moved to Milwaukee, WI in 2015. The label is run by musician/producer Tyson Allison. EPR enlists and caters to singer/songwriters, introverts, experimental weirdos, bookish people, and crafters that paint pictures with words and toy with your emotions on a well-placed chord. Thank you for your interest! ... more

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