Getting out the Word: An Insider's View of Physical Review Letters

Those of you who are in the habit of reading the mastheads of journals may have noticed that Gene Wells—after a well‐earned sabbatical at Los Alamos National Laboratory—has returned to his accustomed post as editor of the condensed matter physics section of Physical Review Letters. I was one of the “gang of four” who filled in for him while he was away (the others were Per Bak, Kelvin Lynn and Myron Strongin), and now that the dust has settled a bit and the ringing in my ears has died down, I'd like to share the experience with you.