Comments & Queries

Comments & Queries are welcome via e-mail. Our address is victstu@indiana.edu.

On the Cover are two images by Georgiana Houghton. On the front cover is The Flower of Warrand Houghton, 1861, while a detail from The Eye of God, 1862, appears on the back. Both images are courtesy of the Victorian Spiritualists' Union, Melbourne, Australia.

Changes at VS: With this issue, VS welcomes Editorial Interns Morgan Rafalski and Julia Tucker. Morgan is a junior majoring in English with minors in history and art history. Her interests include pogonology, pancake-making, cross-reading, and figure-skating. She has thoroughly enjoyed her time at VS this semester, especially the respite it has provided from her concentration in modernism and the opportunity it has provided to pilfer a plethora of Pilot V Ball Extra Fine pens for her own personal use.

Julia Tucker is a senior majoring in English with interests in international studies, student leadership, and Australian soap operas. Upon graduation, Julia plans to pursue a career in a field not yet determined. Although her indecisiveness may eternally frustrate her parents, she considers her "flexibility" a virtue. Julia appreciates the kindness and patience of the VS staff and their willingness to teach the wonders of the editing world. She will always cherish the time spent cross-reading with Julie, Jason, Nicole, and Ann-Marie.

As always, Victorian Studies thanks the Indiana University Honors College, without whose generous support our internship program would not be possible.

The Australasian Victorian Studies Association announces its 2007 Conference, "Victorian Beginnings," which will be held at the University of Western Australia February 7–11, 2007. AVSA is an interdisciplinary association and welcomes historians, fine art specialists, musicologists, architectural historians, and all who do research in the field of Victorian studies. There will be a dedicated session to the topic "Travel and Translation." For more information on submission of abstracts (deadline 31 October 2006) please contact Judith Johnston at judithj@cyllene.uwa.edu.au.

Victorian Poetry announces a special issue to celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Edward FitzGerald (1809) and the sesquicentennial of the publication of his masterpiece, The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám (1859). Submissions are invited, particularly on the Rubáiyát, although articles dealing with FitzGerald's other works, his life, his influence, or his relationship to his contemporaries are also welcome. Essays should be between 4,000 and 8,000 words in length and should follow the Chicago Manual of Style (15th ed.), using endnotes rather than footnotes. Please send submissions as an e-mail attachment to Erik Gray at eg2155@columbia.edu by 15 January 2007.