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  • Goodbye Hypatia, My Friend
  • Lisa Campo-Engelstein (bio)

Dear Hypatia,

I can’t believe it was almost five years ago that we both arrived at Michigan State University. Now it’s time for you to move on to another university and I am sad to see you go. I have come to think of you as more than a great graduate assistantship and an interesting and challenging job. I have come to view you and everyone involved with you—readers, reviewers, contributors, publishers—as friends.

My time with you has shown me that even though we feminist philosophers may be scattered and often working in nonfeminist departments, we still have a wonderful community of friends: people who care about one another and about feminist philosophy. Through correspondence about you, I have had the unique opportunity to connect to amazing feminist philosophers in our community. And although I may not have met them all in person, I feel closer to them and the feminist philosophy community because of our shared commitment to you. That you have 2,800 subscriptions and over 1,000 volunteer manuscript reviewers is a sign of the strength and vitality of the feminist philosophy community of which I am proud to be a member.

You have been an incredible friend, and there is much you have taught me. Working with you has been like taking an intensive class on the entire spectrum of feminist philosophy. I have had the privilege of reading newly submitted and revised manuscripts, which has helped me learn more about the academic conversations that feminist philosophers are having. I have felt the excitement as issues go to press, each one shaping these academic conversations. Our friendship has also been professionally rewarding, as knowing people in the feminist philosophy community and learning about their work has provided me valuable insights. In addition to being exposed to a wide range of feminist philosophy, [End Page 233] I now have a well-developed sense of whose work to turn to when researching a paper topic or deciding what to include in a course syllabus.

Furthermore, you have also taught me so much about publishing. From working with you, I have learned to view the submission process as a positive, collaborative experience, not a teleological one where the singular goal is the paper’s acceptance. I am continually amazed not only by the amount of time and effort your reviewers put into their comments—we occasionally receive comments that rival the length of papers—but also by their warm and positive tenor. Your reviewers really want to help their community members, their friends. Even when reviewers reject papers, their comments are nurturing, encouraging, and constructive; they make recommendations for further reading, give writing tips, and provide suggestions for reworking arguments that reflect deep thought and genuine commitment to improvement. Anonymous reviewers even sometimes ask to have their identity revealed to authors so they can continue to provide feedback during the revision process.

By reading and reflecting on reviewers’ comments, I have become a better philosopher. Seeing what distinguished scholars say about one anothers’ work has helped me more easily recognize and understand the strengths and weaknesses of my own philosophical moves. My critical analysis skills have also improved through editing accepted manuscripts. Additionally, editing has helped me not only with my own writing but also in providing feedback to colleagues and students.

Finally, I will miss spending time with you. Not only do I enjoy the work I do with you but I also consider your staff my mentors and friends. You have introduced me to fabulous people who have taught me about you and much more. Hilde Lindemann, your editor, has done a terrific job mentoring me; I have grown as a philosopher and editor under her tutelage. Hilde’s thoughtful touches have also made working with you special: for example, drinking tea from fancy china during monthly staff meetings. And of course, I appreciate Hilde’s inviting me to write this Musings as a way for me to tell you goodbye. Sonya Charles, your previous Managing editor, also was a fantastic mentor and role model who helped me learn the ropes and eventually take over...

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