The Editor's Fence

il THE EDITOR'S PENCE !· ML/. Seminar: Thomas Hardy: A Report: The fifteenth ELT Seminar met at the Palmer House on December 29, 1971» About forty persons attended. A series of four "position papers" had been published in ELT, XIV: 4 (1971), 219-46. After brief introductory remarks by Robert Schweik, the Discussion Leader, he and each of the other panelists briefly reviewed the leading ideas of their position papers: J. 0. Eailey on Hardy's symbolism, Harold Orel on recent scholarship on Hardy's poetry, Michael Killgate on the present state of criticism of Hardy's fiction, and Robert Schweik on problems in textual scholarship on Hardy's works. A spirited discussion followed, sometimes turning on points made in the preliminary statements, sometimes striking out on other relevant topics, including a cogently argued plea for a. more dispassionate study of Hardy's biography made by Professor Prank Southerington. During the process of these discussions, the principal objectives of the Seminar were certainly achieved - the identification of some continuing scholarly problems in Hardy studies and the indication of some directions for future Hardy research. The success of the Seminar may be gauged both by the continuing discussions it provoked after the meeting was over and by the requests from a number of participants to explore ways of bringing persons interested in Hardy scholarship together at the next MLA for another meeting. We invite brief written comments on topics developed at the Seminar; these we would consider for use in ELT. 2. Seminar on English Literature In Transition (MLA, New York, 1972).· At this time several topics are under consideration. As soon as the final decision on the specific topic has been made and preliminary plans have been initiated, we shall report details in ELT, hopefully by early May. See Note 6 under ANNOUNCEMENTS, following" 3· Seminar on English Literature In Transition (MLA. Chicago, 1973): We are pleased that we have been able to plan the ELT Seminar several years ahead. Frederick P. W. McDowell (University of Iowa) has agreed to be Discussion Leader of a meeting on E. M. Forster which we shall propose for MLA approval at the 1973 meetings. k, The A. S. B. Series: We were delighted that the Conrad volume in the Annotated Secondary Bibliography Series, handsomely produced by Northern Illinois University Press, arrived from the printer just in time to be displayed at the MLA meetings In Chicago. The volume on Thomas Hardy Is to be published this year. 5. We Are Late: This number of ELT appears a little later than we planned because we have moved Into spacious new quarters at A. S. U. The present Inconvenience will, we hope, be a modest price to pay for greater efficiency in the future. 6. Beware the Dünner: This number of ELT will be mailed to all 1971 subscribers. The next number will be mailed only to paid 1972 ELTers. ...