Very early in reading David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest, it became clear that for me to follow the action through the various plot lines I would need a timeline to help me keep it all straight. Initially I had just hoped to situate the years in their regular Gregorian calendar order. As I built it out, though, it greatly enhanced my enjoyment and (I think) understanding of the book.
I have only read the book once, and this timeline was built in medias res. As a result it tends to focus on the things that interested me at the time I was reading. Towards the end of the book, I started to lose steam in building the timeline, so there are some gaps in Don Gately’s narrative that I need to fill in, as I think they would prove particularly illuminating. Perhaps a year or two from now I’ll go back and take another bite of the apple.
—November 26, 2008
| Date | Subsidized Year | Event | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, January 1, 1950 | n/a | James Incandenza born in Los Angeles, CA. | 64 |
| Thursday, January 1, 1953 | n/a | Avril Mondragon born in Quebec province of Canada. | 766 |
| Thursday, December 1, 1960 | n/a | James taught tennis on Tucson, AZ. | 157 |
| Sunday, December 1, 1963 | n/a | J.I becomes interested in annulation. | 491 |
| Thursday, January 1, 1981 | n/a | Don Gately born. | 55 |
| Saturday, January 1, 1983 | n/a | Orin Incandenza born | 314 |
| Sunday, November 25, 1990 | n/a | Mario Incandenza born two months premature | 312, 589 |
| Tuesday, January 1, 1991 | n/a | Johnny Gentle sings national anthem at Forsythia Bowl | 442 |
| Monday, June 1, 1992 | n/a | Hal Incandenza born | 27 |
| Sunday, September 1, 1996 | n/a | ?? – First Clean U.S. Party (C.U.S.P.) convention | 382 |
| Tuesday, November 5, 1996 | n/a | ?? – Limbaugh/Kemp ticket wins U.S. election. (Limbaugh later assassinated.) | 177 |
| Wednesday, January 1, 1997 | n/a | MIT Language riots | fn. 60 |
| Saturday, March 1, 1997 | n/a | Hal eats mold. | 10, fn. 234 |
| Thursday, May 1, 1997 | n/a | Don Gately (16) loses football eligibility. | 906 |
| Thursday, January 1, 1998 | n/a | ||
| Saturday, August 1, 1998 | n/a | Enfield Tennis Academy (ETA) founded | 949 |
| Tuesday, September 1, 1998 | n/a | ?? – Eric Clipperton (Ind.) v. Ross Reat (ETA) @ Hartford Jr. Open | 408 |
| Friday, January 1, 1999 | n/a | ||
| Saturday, January 1, 2000 | n/a | ||
| Saturday, January 15, 2000 | n/a | ?? – P. Tom Veals agrees to manage PR for Johnny Gentle’s presidential campaign. | 418 |
| Tuesday, November 7, 2000 | n/a | Johnny Gentle (C.U.S.P.) elected President | 382 |
| Monday, January 1, 2001 | n/a | ?? – J.G. attends Ken-L-Ration-Magnavox-Kemper-Insuance-Forsythia Bowl in Las Vegas | 442 |
| Tuesday, January 2, 2001 | n/a | ?? – Creation of Office of Unspecified Servics, Rodney Tine appointed Chief | 382 |
| Tuesday, January 16, 2001 | n/a | The Concavity Cabinet | 400 |
| Wednesday, January 31, 2001 | n/a | ?? – Canadian P.M. [killed|wounded??] by railroad spike through right eye | 392 |
| Sunday, April 1, 2001 | n/a | ?? – NATO dismantled | 391 |
| Wednesday, May 30, 2001 | n/a | ?? – J.G. speaks at UNLV commencement | 393 |
| Saturday, September 1, 2001 | n/a | O.I. quits tennis | |
| Monday, September 10, 2001 | n/a | O.I. begins punting | 295 |
| Wednesday, October 10, 2001 | n/a | O.I. and Joelle van Dyne first conversation | 295 |
| Saturday, November 24, 2001 | n/a | ?? – Boston University wins Yankee Conference football title | 297 |
| Sunday, December 30, 2001 | n/a | ?? – O.I. plays in K-L-RMKI/Forsythia Bowl | 296 |
| Monday, December 31, 2001 | n/a | J.G. gives first State of O.N.A.N. address | 394 |
| O.I. and J.v.D. celebrate New Year’s in Shiny Prize, KY | 296 | ||
| Tuesday, January 1, 2002 | Whopper | First Year of Subsidization | 223 |
| Tuesday, January 1, 2002 | Whopper | Ennet House Drug and Alcohol Recovery House founded | 137 |
| Monday, January 7, 2002 | Whopper | ?? – possible meeting of J.I. and Lyle, Found Drama ideation | 375 |
| Monday, January 21, 2002 | Whopper | ?? – J.G. adds President of Mexico and Prime Minister of Canada to U.S. cabinet as Secretaries of countries | 384 |
| Saturday, June 1, 2002 | Whopper | Eric Clipperton commits suicide at ETA witnessed by J.I. and M.I. | 433 |
| Wednesday, January 1, 2003 | Tucks Medicated Pad | ||
| Tuesday, April 1, 2003 | Tucks Medicated Pad | J.I. and H.I. interview where J.I. pretends to be analyst. Explanation of why J.I. is called Himself. | 27 |
| Sunday, June 1, 2003 | Tucks Medicated Pad | ?? – J.v.D. appears in Low-Temperature Civics | 297, fn.24 |
| ?? – J.v.D. appears in (The) Desire to Desire | 297, fn.24 | ||
| ?? – J.v.D. appears in Safe Boating is No Accident | 297, fn.24 | ||
| Monday, September 1, 2003 | Tucks Medicated Pad | ?? – J.v.D. appears in Infinite Jest (IV) | fn.24 |
| ?? – J.v.D. appears in The Night Wears a Sombrero | fn.24 | ||
| ?? – J.v.D. appears in The Film Adaptation of … | fn.24 | ||
| Thursday, November 27, 2003 | Tucks Medicated Pad | O.I. and J.v.D. (Lucille Duquette?) have Thanksgiving in Shiny Prize, KY. | 792 |
| ?? – J.v.D. deformed (according to Molly Notkin, who’s never seen J.v.D. w/o veil.) | 795 | ||
| J.v.D.’s mother commits suicide | 795 | ||
| Monday, December 1, 2003 | Tucks Medicated Pad | ?? – possible date of O.I./J.v.D. breakup | 229 |
| Thursday, January 1, 2004 | Trial-Size Dove Bar | ||
| Friday, January 2, 2004 | Trial-Size Dove Bar | ?? – possible date of J.v.D. unveiled filmed by J.I. for Infinite Jest | 229 |
| Monday, March 1, 2004 | Trial-Size Dove Bar | It was a Great Marvel … released. Film is based on 4/1/03 meeting bet. J.I. and H.I. | fn. 24 |
| Dial C for Concupiscence released | fn. 24 | ||
| Thursday, April 1, 2004 | Trial-Size Dove Bar | J.I. kills self. | 242 |
| J.I. found by H.I. | 242 | ||
| Sunday, April 4, 2004 | Trial-Size Dove Bar | J.I. funeral in St. Adalbert. | 910 |
| Saturday, January 1, 2005 | Purdue Wonder-Chicken | ||
| Monday, February 21, 2005 | Purdue Wonder-Chicken | Hal’s essay on male heroes on cop shows. | 140 |
| Sunday, May 15, 2005 | Purdue Wonder-Chicken | Hal’s paper on ‘tangled fates of broadcast television and the American ad industry.’ | |
| Thursday, December 1, 2005 | Purdue Wonder-Chicken | ?? – J.v.D. joins Union of Hideously and Improbably Deformed | 533 |
| Sunday, January 1, 2006 | Whisper-Quiet Maytag Dishwasher | ||
| Tuesday, June 20, 2006 | Whisper-Quiet Maytag Dishwasher | A.I. writes to O.I. | fn. 110 |
| Monday, January 1, 2007 | Yushityu 2007 Mimetic-Resolution-Cartridge-View-Motherboard-East-to-Install Upgrade for Infernatron/Interlace TP Systems for Home, Office or Mobile (sic) | ||
| Sunday, April 1, 2007 | Y2007MRCVMETIUFI/ITPSFHO,OM(s) | Tennis and the Feral Prodigy recorded by M.I. and H.I. | 172 |
| Tuesday, January 1, 2008 | Dairy Products from the American Heartland | ||
| Saturday, March 1, 2008 | Dairy Products from the American Heartland | ?? – Putative date Helen Steeply joins Moment magazine | 227 |
| Sunday, June 1, 2008 | Dairy Products from the American Heartland | ?? – Infinite Jest dissemination begins. | 548 |
| Monday, September 1, 2008 | Dairy Products from the American Heartland | Du Plessis killed by D.G. (27) during robbery. | 59 |
| Thursday, September 11, 2008 | Dairy Products from the American Heartland | D.G. begins rehab | 274, 364 |
| Thursday, January 1, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | ||
| Wednesday, April 1, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | Medical attache watches Infinite Jest | 33 |
| Thursday, April 30, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | Remy Marathe and Hugh Steeply meet outside Tucson. | 87 |
| Saturday, May 9, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | O.I. starts calling H.I. | 32 |
| Monday, June 1, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | H.I. turns 17 | 27 |
| Monday, June 15, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | H.I. erupment | |
| Wednesday, July 1, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | DG becomes Ennet House staff member | |
| Monday, August 10, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | Helen Steeply essay in Moment magazine. | 142 |
| Thursday, October 1, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | O.I. in jacuzzi w/ dead bird | 42 |
| Ken Erdedy enters Ennet House | 360 | ||
| Thursday, October 15, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | M.I. and U.S.S. Millicent Kent have encounter in woods. | 125 |
| Thursday, October 22, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | Early AM – Madam Psychosis’s ‘60+/-’ final broadcast on WYYY. | 187, 450 |
| Sunday, November 1, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | - Kate Gompert enters Ennet House | 361 |
| ?? – Rodney Tine arrives in Boston, MA. | 548 | ||
| Tuesday, November 3, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | O.I. calls H.I. to ask about separatists. | 135 |
| Wednesday, November 4, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | Michael Pemulis acquires DMZ/Madame Psychosis from Antitoi brothers | 169 |
| Thursday, November 5, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | H.I. recounts events of 4/1/04 to O.I. | 242 |
| Friday, November 6, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | ETA vs. Port Washington | 258 |
| Saturday, November 7, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | J.v.D. attempts suicide | 240 |
| H.I. et al. party at Unexamined Life | fn. 110 | ||
| O.I calls H.I re samizdat | fn. 110 | ||
| Antitoi Entertainent acquires copies of Infinite Jest | 483 | ||
| Sunday, November 8, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | Interdependence Day | 321 |
| Early PM – Eschaton incident | 321 | ||
| Mid. PM – M.I. movie re: Interdependence | 380 | ||
| J.v.D. enters Ennet House | fn.134 | ||
| Monday, November 9, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | Bertraund & Lucien Antitoi, of Antitoi Entertainent murdered by Les Assassins des Fauteuils Rollents | 488 |
| M.P. walks in on A.I. and John Wayne in her office. | 550 | ||
| Tuesday, November 10, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | AM – H.I. goes to dentist (Zegarelli). | 526 |
| H.I. (after dentist), M.P. et al. meeting with C.T. | 508 | ||
| Wednesday, November 11, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | O.I. tryst(?) with putative Swedish hand model | 565 |
| Helen Steeply visits ETA | 627 | ||
| H.I. nearly loses to Ortho Stice | 627 | ||
| Ted Schacht and Idris Arslanian discuss Dymphna. | 567 | ||
| Struck writes essay on A.F.R. | fn. 304 | ||
| M.I. moves back in with H.I. | 769 | ||
| Late PM – Randy Lenz kills dog | 587 | ||
| Thursday, November 12, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | Ealy AM – Incident outside Ennet House. | 604 |
| ?? – WYYY engineer abducted by A.F.R. | 626 | ||
| H.I. and M.P. discuss addiction. | fn. 321 | ||
| Friday, November 13, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | ?? – A.F.R. acquires read only copy of I.J. | 724 |
| Saturday, November 14, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | Tony Krause has seizure | 299 |
| Matty Pemulis turns 23 | 682 | ||
| Marathe interviews at Ennet House | 751 | ||
| Sunday, November 15, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | ||
| Monday, November 16, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | ||
| Tuesday, November 17, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | 8am – H.I. goes to Ennet House for NA info. | 785 |
| Wayne broadcast on WETA. | fn. 324 | ||
| Molly Notkin interviewed by U.S.O.U.S. | 787 | ||
| M.P. , deLint, et al. meeting. | fn. 332 | ||
| 5:30pm – H.I. goes to NA meeting in Natick. | 795 | ||
| Wednesday, November 18, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | ||
| Thursday, November 19, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | ||
| Friday, November 20, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | ETA vs. Quebec Jr. Davis and Jr. Wightman Cup squads | 217 |
| Meeting between Tine, Sr., Tine, Jr., Interlace Entertainment, Glad Corp., and P. Tom Veals re: PSA. | 876 | ||
| Saturday, November 21, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | Vaught Twins vs. Jr. Wightman Cup coaches | 217 |
| Intended date for H.I., M.P. & T.A. to take DMZ. | 217 | ||
| Sunday, November 22, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | ||
| Monday, November 23, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | ||
| Tuesday, November 24, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | ||
| Wednesday, November 25, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | M.I. turns 19 | 589 |
| Thursday, November 26, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | Thanksgiving | |
| Friday, November 27, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | Hal plays well in WhataBurger Invitational | 14 |
| Saturday, November 28, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | ?? – H.I. emergency room visit. | 16 |
| Sunday, November 29, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | ||
| Monday, November 30, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | ||
| Tuesday, December 1, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | ||
| Thursday, December 10, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | ?? – Hal submits own sample to urologist | 635 |
| Saturday, December 12, 2009 | Depend Adult Undergarment | H.I. takes SAT; does poorly. | 7; 218; 784 |
| Friday, January 1, 2010 | Glad | Final year of subsidization | fn.114 |
| Saturday, January 2, 2010 | Glad | H.I.’s ankle no longer sore. | 16 |
| Thursday, April 1, 2010 | Glad | ?? – Dymphna turns 16 | 17 |
| Friday, November 26, 2010 | Glad | H.I. interview a Arizona State during WhataBurger Invitational (playing well) | 1 |
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[...] To help myself along the way, I created a timeline of events. This started out on paper, but the story quickly burst those bounds and I moved to Numbers to keep track, since I had a great need to insert events between ones already recorded. [...]