Say Never is a novella written by David Foster Wallace. Released in 1987, it is the eighth story in Wallace's collection Girl with Curious Hair and tells of a cheating poet and the impact of his infidelity on the people around him.
Characters[]
- Mr. Labov - a tailor
- Leonard "Lenny" Shlomith Tagus - a poet who cheats on his wife
- Mrs. Greta Tagus - Lenny's mother and a friend of Mr. Labov's
- Michael Arnold "Mikey" Tagus - Lenny's brother
- Louis - Mikey's friend
- Bonnie Flutterman Tagus - Lenny's wife
- Carlina Rentaria-Cruz - the woman that Lenny cheats on his wife with
Plot[]
For several decades, a tailor by the name of Labov has lived in the same apartment as a woman named Greta Tagus. Tagus is the mother of two boys - Lenny (a poet with a somewhat prestigious record) and Mikey. While Mikey is out drinking with one of his friends and discussing a woman named Carlina, Mrs. Tagus gets a phonecall from Lenny's wife Bonnie telling her that Lenny has cheated on her with another woman.
Shortly after this phone call, a letter is sent by an unknown gossip detailing Lenny's affair with one Carlina Rentaria-Cruz. Meanwhile, Mrs. Tagus calls Lenny to talk about the affair. Unbeknownst to Mrs. Tagus, Lenny found one of these letters and thinks over it and the affair while listening to his mother speak over the phone. After the call ends, Mr. Labov walks Mrs. Tagus to a nearby station and stands with her as she waits for the train. Once the train arrives, Mrs. Tagus gets on without Mr. Labov.
| Works of David Foster Wallace | ||
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Novels | ||