David Foster Wallace's SOMETHING TO DO WITH PAYING ATTENTION (from THE PALE KING)>> Finally, FINALLY, I've worked up the courage to lecture on one of my hugest literary heroes.

*Something to Do with Paying Attention* serves as a gateway into David Foster Wallace’s late-style evolution. This posthumous novella marks a shift from the frenetic, pyrotechnic complexity of *Infinite Jest* toward a more vulnerable, grounded exploration of human experience. The narrative, which centers on a character’s decision to join the IRS, functions as a study in mindfulness and the deliberate choice to pay attention. Comparisons to Ben Lerner highlight distinct differences in their approaches to autofiction and the treatment of social norms. The novella’s titular figure, a substitute teacher, emerges as a manifestation of authority and a catalyst for the protagonist’s rebirth, illustrating how mundane, prosaic settings reveal profound existential truths. By stripping away earlier cynicism, the work offers a clearer view of the warmth and empathy underlying Wallace’s brilliance.