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THE EDITOR'S FEMCE 1. Conference on Aestheticism and Decadence, VJashlnqton, D. C, 1962: The Sixth EFT Conference was attended by 35 people, with, at various times, a few additional standees. More Important, this meeting proved that discussion is still possible at Conferences, If not in Discussion Groups. Ky introductory remarks were followed by brief summaries of the two papers on aestheticism and decadence which appeared In EFT, V : 5 (1962). Edward Lauterbach and I offered a few comments on the two papers, and discussion then went on for the remaining hour. V/e certainly did not expect to settle all the problems raised by the topic; if this had been possible, the topic would not have been worth discussing, it Is remarkable , however, how many of the problems I raised in EFT, V : 5 (1962) 31-32, received some consideration. And it is remarkable that, with much disagreement and despite fairly wide-ranging comments, the discussion took on considerable coherence. Among the ideas considered at some length were the following: (a) Decadence and aestheticism, whatever precisely they are, were a reaction against or a rejection of values expressed In the subject matter of the literature and In the forms or structure of the works, the values and artistic techniques, that the aesthetes and decadents associated with VIctorlanlsm. (b) Generally, although not necessarily and especially not In some specific works, decadence entails a failing off in quality, perhaps because decadent fiction and poetry sometimes serve only the end of shocking the public and not artistic ends; sometimes they Involve a fragmentation process which destroys artistic unity. (c) Although there was some disagreement on the matter, the possibility was suggested that the term aestheticism might be applied to technical characteristics of the works, whereas the term decadence might be better applied to subject matter, to attitudes in the works. Historically, at least, those who used the word aestheticism commonly concerned themselves with specific elements of style, whereas those who used the word decadence concerned themselves with values, moral positions, subject matter. (d) It was pointed out that the literature of English aestheticism and decadence seems conventional and even closer to recognized traditions, whether those of the classical or romanticist kind, when compared with their French counterparts; they take on the appearance of a revolutionary trend, of Innovations, chiefly If seen against the Immediate historical background of the English high Victorian literature. (e) The aesthetes and decadents have historical Importance Insofar as they Influenced literary tendencies in the twentieth century by freeing the artist from traditions which had become restrictive. (f) Most needed are critical studies of the works of the period, revaluations of many of the Individual writers, not, perhaps, by comparison with the romantic writers or the major Victorians, but rather by comparison with the writers who dominated English literature after about 1914. The emphasis, when the writers of the IGSOs and 1890s have been studied at all, has been on the backward glance; it might now better be on the foreward glance. 2. The Seventh Conference, Chicago, 1963: Since EFT has now become ELT and Is therefore a period journal rather than a genre journal and since we now shall also turn our attention to the poets, how do our readers react to the following subject for our next Conference? Poetry (I88O-I90O): Content, Form, Quality. An attempt to revaluate poetry which has generally been recognized as characteristic of the period, with particular attention to Arthur Symons, J. A. Symonds, Ernest Dowson, John Davidson, Lionel Johnson, Oscar Wilde, and others. Such a Conference might lead to another one on Poetry (1900-1920), or the Trench Poets, or the Georgians the following year. Other suggestions will, of course, be welcome. Since 1 would like to petition MLA to authorize next year's Conference as soon as possible, 1 shall appreciate having some response to this proposal within a month. 3. Some Miscellaneous ELT Matters: Beginning with the present volume we shall paginate consecutively throughout the entire volume. We shall normally publish four numbers in the calendar year Io make up the complete volume, but we shall still feel free to produce fewer cr more numbers as necessity requires. Insofar as...

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