Navigating Editorial Waters: Alicui Tamen Faciendum Est.

Abstract

The late David Foster Wallace wrote The Pale King, a fictional novel about tax collectors in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was published posthumously on Tax Day following his suicide in 2008. In it, he claims that the Latin expression in the above subheading is the motto for the IRS where it means, "He is the one doing a difficult, unpopular job," but no such actual motto exists for that government entity. Instead, another interpretation of the saying might be "Anyway, someone has to do it," which conveniently sums up the kinds of responsibilities undertaken by a journal editor.