From the Editor

If success has many fathers (and mothers) but failure is an orphan—then it is fair to say that Shakespeare Quarterly is well-parented. For the excellence of this journal, we must first of all thank our contributors—the writers of wonderful essays of many scholarly varieties, book reviews that keep our readership abreast of what is being published in the field of Shakespeare studies, and theater productions saved for the historical record. Every scholarly journal worth its salt aims for perfection, and all of us at SQ work uncommonly hard toward the goal.

I can attest with pride that SQ's editorial and production staff is directly responsible for maintaining the highest standards of scholarly excellence and accuracy. With the rich resources of the Folger Library at our disposal, it is incumbent upon us to check facts and quotations from the rare materials so often cited in the journal. Readers will not be surprised to learn that our staff spends many hours in the Folger Reading Rooms working alongside the scholars whose writing they will go on to edit and publish.

For many years, quality control at SQ was in the remarkably able hands of managing editor Mary Tonkinson. As countless contributors can attest, it was Mary's eagle eye for the mixed metaphor, the infelicitous phrase, and otherwise undetectable non sequitur that made the publication process at SQ unusually rigorous and labor-intensive. This was true not only for those of us on staff but also for the scholars who found their prose so carefully and lovingly improved by Mary's ministrations. Such devotion to proper usage, correct citations, and stylistic grace is rare at any time in the history of editing, but especially perhaps in today's world of spell-check and grammar-check. Such computer-aided usage programs have brought the sticklers among us—among whom I certainly wish to count myself—to a state of high frustration and often indignation when the computer decides, often incorrectly, what is and is not a solecism.

This issue of SQ is Mary's last; she has moved on to other editing challenges. I speak for her many fans throughout the international world of Shakespeare studies in thanking her for the extraordinary care she lavished on everything that was published in our pages and trust that she will continue to see us upholding the high standards that she modeled so ably for us.