The Awakening of My Interest in Advanced Tax

by David Foster Wallace

Originally appearing at the heart of The Pale King, David Foster Wallace’s posthumous semi-novel, this extended monologue brilliantly rambles its way around the circumstances that brought its narrator out of his ‘wastoid’ childhood and into maturity at the IRS. Along the way, he falls under the spell of a fake Jesuit, considers the true meaning of a soap opera station break, and narrowly escapes a gruesome death on the subway.

Paperback

First published May 1, 2013

About the author

David Foster Wallace was an acclaimed American writer known for his fiction, nonfiction, and critical essays that explored the complexities of consciousness, irony, and the human condition. Widely regarded as one of the most innovative literary voices of his generation, Wallace is perhaps best known for his 1996 novel Infinite Jest, which was listed by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels published between 1923 and 2005. His unfinished final novel, The Pale King, was published posthumously in 2011 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Born in Ithaca, New York, Wallace was raised in Illinois, where he excelled as both a student and a junior tennis player—a sport he later wrote about with sharp insight and humor. He earned degrees in English and philosophy from Amherst College, then completed an MFA in creative writing at the University of Arizona. His early academic work in logic and philosophy informed much of his writing, particularly in his blending of analytical depth with emotional complexity.
Wallace’s first novel, The Broom of the System (1987), established his reputation as a fresh literary talent. Over the next two decades, he published widely in prestigious journals and magazines, producing short stories, essays, and book reviews that earned him critical acclaim. His work was characterized by linguistic virtuosity, inventive structure, and a deep concern for moral and existential questions. In addition to fiction, he tackled topics ranging from tennis and state fairs to cruise ships, politics, and the ethics of food consumption.
Beyond his literary achievements, Wallace had a significant academic career, teaching literature and writing at Emerson College, Illinois State University, and Pomona College. He was known for his intense engagement with students and commitment to teaching.
Wallace struggled with depression and addiction for much of his adult life, and he was hospitalized multiple times. He died by suicide in 2008 at the age of 46. In the years since his death, his influence has continued to grow, inspiring scholars, conferences, and a dedicated readership. However, his legacy is complicated by posthumous revelations of abusive behavior, particularly during his relationship with writer Mary Karr, which has led to ongoing debate within literary and academic communities.
His distinctive voice—by turns cerebral, comic, and compassionate—remains a defining force in contemporary literature. Wallace once described fiction as a way of making readers feel "less alone inside," and it is that emotional resonance, alongside his formal daring, that continues to define his place in American letters.

Reviews

[Leo Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doing some writing research today and discovered that Section 22 of The Pale King exists as a separate book on its own! Very cool—one of my favourite pieces of writing ever <3 I should get this!!

But anyways I re-read it :) Just beautifully explores what it means to find meaning in a seemingly banal existence <3

[David Press · Rating 4 out of 5]

DFW is not for everyone, but to find out if you want to read Infinite Jest or Pale King or his other books, this is a good place to start. "Awakening" is a self contained excerpt from "Pale King." Basically, the narrator starts out to explain how he came to be an examiner for the IRS. The answer can be summarized in two or three sentences. But there are digressions, and tangents, and tangential departures from digressions that lead to a narrative that sprawls, seeming aimless, much of a drifting college life in the late 1970s, nihilism, posing, serendipity, and discovery. It is funny, and somehow it gets back to the original questions, returning to the path all the stronger for having departed and wandered so far. Many long, long sentences, and more info about tax accounting than I'd ever want to know.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this was just excellent. 'This' being a novella sized excerpt from David Foster Wallace's The Pale King, published as an individual book by Madras Press and given to me by a friend in the hopes that it would, finally, propel me toward reading more of Wallace's work. It had the desired effect.

This excerpt is described as a "cautionary example" of not "noodling about every last gap and imprecision in [ones] own memory" and is essentially a long, rambling, tangential explanation of the narrator's path to the IRS, and, of course, his awakening interest in Advanced Tax. In other words, his journey from 'wastoid' to Examiner.

So, as a crash course in Wallace's writing style, I found myself as a sponge because I wanted to truly get the feel of him. As such, I found myself absorbing--but not necessarily retaining or hanging onto--many facets of his writing; which is actually weirdly appropriate in relation to said style. As mentioned above, he rambles. He is prone to long run-on sentences that loop far, far away from the topic at hand, only to return suddenly when you've finally forgotten what it is he was talking about in the first place. I imagine this may not work for everyone, but I found it a delight.

Wallace has that rare ability to make the mundane seem interesting in such a way that the reader is questioning whether it actually is interesting or whether the author has just made it seem that way. This kind of thing speaks to sheer writing skill, I think, and translates to the reader--at least when the reader is me--as a skill that has not just been honed over time, but was there to begin with.

I shall return.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't get me wrong: this is five stars as part of its original home in The Pale King. It's a great little novella, but plucked as it is from its context, there are a few bits that lose some of their resonance.

It's still a great piece. Provocative. Worth a look if you were curious about The Pale King but felt like it was a little too much of a tendon-strainer.

Bonus: it's a pleasing little object, nice paper, good texture to the cover. Better yet: all proceeds are donated by Madras Press to Granada House, a halfway house in Boston that helped a young David Foster Wallace through some tough times.

[Karen Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excerpt from The Pale King, published in teeny-tiny book form by Madras Press. Leave it to David Foster Wallace to make tax accounting fun. Details blogged at A Just Recompense.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

While just an excerpt from The Pale King, it's a good reminder of why DFW is as esteemed as the writer he is.