Editor's Note

With this issue volume 13 draws to a close. Over the course of the last few months, we have made some transitions even as the journal has continued to feature some of the very best work in rhetoric, politics, and criticism. Aft er almost five years of service as Book Review Editor of R & PA, Vanessa Beasley has asked for a rest. Anyone who has been reading the book section over the last few years knows just how much time and effort Professor Beasley has put into this journal. From lead reviews on "Visualizing Public Address" to the "Bush Presidency" to the "Prison-Industrial Complex," Beasley has filled the lead review slot with timely and important work by leading members of our profession. The lead review essays have covered more than 65 different books which, combined with the nearly 200 books covered in short reviews, has brought the best in recent scholarship to the attention of our readers. Matching books with ideal reviewers is an art, and Vanessa Beasley has practiced that art with grace and astute judgment.

One of the goals Vanessa had for her editorship was to bring more young scholars into the process, and in this endeavor she was also successful. A quick perusal of the last five years shows reviews authored by graduate students from Maryland, Penn State, Georgia, Indiana, Washington, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas A&M, Pittsburgh, Illinois, Texas, Northwestern, Arizona State, Georgia State, Florida State, Colorado, and Iowa. In addition to expanding the call for reviewers, Vanessa did something even more difficult—she convinced numerous senior scholars to write book reviews. We were treated to reviews by David Zarefsky, Mary E. Stuckey, Bryan C. Taylor, Stephen J. Wayne, Cara A. Finnegan, Bonnie Dow, James Farrell and many other top-flight scholars, including the one who has agreed to assume the Book Review Editorship, Robert E. Terrill.

Many of us are familiar with Professor Terrill's scholarship, including his award-winning book Malcolm X: Inventing Radical Judgment. For the last several years, he has served on the editorial board of Rhetoric & Public Affairs and has distinguished himself as a fair, insightful, and timely reviewer of others' work. Now he has assumed an even bigger task, one for which he is eminently qualified. Following in the editorial footprints of such leaders as David Henry, Mary Stuckey, and Vanessa Beasley, Terrill will doubtless put his own unique mark on the book section. I want to take this opportunity both to thank Vanessa for her many years of service to the journal and the field, and to welcome Robert on board.

We have also made a few changes to the editorial board. I want to thank retiring board members Frank Costigliola, Kevin Michael DeLuca, Robert M. Entman, Michael William Pfau, Craig R. Smith, and Robert E. Terrill for their many years of service on the board. At the same time, I want to welcome new—and in some cases returning—board members Karlyn Kohrs Campbell, Celeste Michelle Condit, Jeremy Engels, M. Jimmie Killingsworth, Robert J. McMahon, and Robert C. Rowland. Without the dedicated service of scholars such as these—and all those who have served over the last 13 years—there could be no Rhetoric & Public Affairs.

In this issue we also celebrate and remember our former board member Michael Leff. Mike contributed to volume 1:1 of R & PA and served faithfully on the board for eight years. He will be missed.