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  • From the Editors
  • Hillary Hope Herzog and Todd Herzog

The Journal of Austrian Studies—of which this is the inaugural issue—is actually over a half-century old. It began in 1961 as a newsletter circulated among members of the International Arthur Schnitzler Research Association, a small but dedicated group of international scholars that sought to examine, promote, and make accessible the works of Arthur Schnitzler. By 1968 the size and scope of the journal had expanded to the point that it necessitated a new title: Modern Austrian Literature. The editor who oversaw the transition, Vincent LoCicero, wrote at the time: “In a sense, Modern Austrian Literature represents a heart-transplant operation. The body of this publication is new, but its spirit and essence remains that of the Journal of the International Arthur Schnitzler Research Association” (LoCicero). He also admitted that the journal intended “to interpret the epithet ‘modern’ quite freely” (LoCicero), and, under a succession of highly capable editors, for the next forty-four years that is exactly what it did.

When Geoffrey Howes and Jacqueline Vansant assumed editorship of Modern Austrian Literature in 2000, they reflected on the history of MAL and suggested that “[a]s the journal enters the twenty-first century, there are good reasons to re-examine each of the terms in its title” (iii). They announced that they would explicitly welcome “articles not only on the growing canon of literary texts, but also on film, popular culture, and texts that challenge definitions of high and low culture, genres, and methodologies” (iii). Now not only would the term modern be interpreted quite freely; so would the term literature. The following year, the journal’s subtitle was changed to reflect the new name of the organization that it represented: it would henceforth be known as “The Journal of the Modern Austrian Literature and Culture Association.” Subsequent editors continued to expand the journal’s size and scope, just as had previous editors. We are especially thankful to the outgoing editor, Craig Decker, whose masterful guidance of the journal over the past three years [End Page xi] and generous support since we assumed editorship have made our transition smooth and painless. As readers of MAL, we appreciated the quality of the volumes produced under his editorship. As contributors, we appreciated the excellent communication and attention to detail that he brought to his work. But only now as editors can we fully appreciate how well he and his editorial board ran this journal. We thank Craig and also the officers of the Austrian Studies Association—David Luft, Robert Dassanowsky, Katie Arens, and Helga Schreckenberger—for their hard work and generous support in the transition to new editors, a new publisher, and a new title and mission for the journal over the past year. Thanks also to Joseph Moser, who has continued in his role as book review editor extraordinaire, and to the members of the new editorial board, the evaluators of submissions, and those who submit their work to the journal.

Beginning with this volume, the journal undergoes another name change—as does the organization with which it is associated. The new Journal of Austrian Studies is a publication of the Austrian Studies Association that seeks to encompass all aspects of Austrian Studies—in terms of both its objects of study and the methodologies employed. The new editorial board includes scholars in the fields of history, philosophy, and media studies as well as literary and cultural studies. We not only welcome, but also encourage, submissions that offer new approaches to new topics in Austrian Studies—especially those that blur the boundaries between methodologies. But at the same time we want to point out that this is volume 45 of this apparently “new” journal. To pick up on LoCicero’s medical metaphor from MAL 1:1, the spirit of Modern Austrian Literature and The Journal of the Arthur Schnitzler Research Association remains central to the mission of the Journal of Austrian Studies. The body has simply gotten bigger. Whatever it has been called over the years, this journal has always been dedicated to expanding the boundaries of scholarship in Austrian Studies.

It takes a big team to run a small...

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