Letter from the General Editor

The present issue of Discourse realizes one of the objectives of the current editorial board, which is to balance special issues that focus on specific themes and subjects with general issues that represent a broad range of contemporary examinations of vanguard culture, representation, critical theory, and media. One value of a general issue featuring a diversity of subjects, styles, and methodologies is that it offers the reader a horizon of critical analyses that nonetheless produce in the mix the distinct sensibilities that continue to define Discourse. This issue represents, in our opinion, the best traditions of Discourse, while opening onto new frontiers in the critical investigation of media, culture, and world representation.

The articles that appear in this issue move through critical historiographies of Indonesian, Japanese, and Arab visual cultures; they look at the cinemas of exploration and queer temporalities, while addressing the figures of Bazin, Warhol, Pasolini, and Godard, among others; and they intervene in the ethics of trance, cannibalism, and narratives of the underclass. They feature proper names and historical moments both prominent and distant, forging a line of communication between various regions of the world, artistic and critical communities, and forms of expression. Each with a distinct voice, unique protocols and politics, and modes of analysis, the articles that constitute this volume reflect the force of Discourse as a critical forum for the rigorous analysis of representation and culture, one that demands a sustained scholarly focus but that still allows for creative experimentation.

Many of the editorial changes (of personnel, institutional base and infrastructure, and editorial format) are now complete. We apologize for the sustained hiatus that rendered Discourse largely invisible during the past several years. We are working hard to catch up, with many strong issues already under way, imagined, and in production. We anticipate an accelerated schedule of publication over the coming year, and as always, we thank our readers for their interest and continued support.