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  • Ralph Cohen and New Literary History
  • John T. Casteen III (bio)

This Special Issue of New Literary History celebrates both a scholar with few or no peers in our time and a singular achievement in the history of literary studies. Ralph Cohen's four decades of uninterrupted service as editor of NLH may represent the longest tenure of any journal editor anywhere. His longevity as editor of this important journal is a testament not only to his personal commitment and his intellectual and physical stamina, but also to his conviction that ideas should be constantly reassessed and renewed. He has contributed this conviction to all who have found in NLH an exemplar of integrity as an animating principle in the life of the mind. Ralph and his colleagues on the founding editorial board chose New Literary History as the journal's name to emphasize the notion that literary criticism and history are always evolving—always new. This commitment to continual rejuvenation has kept Ralph actively engaged and kept NLH fresh for forty years.

The history of NLH is entwined with the University of Virginia's recent history. The journal was founded in 1969 as part of the University's sesquicentennial celebration. At that time, Ralph proposed a new kind of journal to offer an alternative to the methods of thought and analysis defined by the New Criticism and dominant in literary criticism through the middle years of the twentieth century. Ralph wanted NLH to provide a broad-minded forum for a variety of critical methods that would encourage scholarly dialogue and interdisciplinary exchange. Then University president Edgar F. Shannon Jr. agreed to provide seed funding for NLH, and Ralph and his hand-picked editorial board soon began publishing the journal three times a year (it would become a quarterly in 1990). During these forty years, NLH has served a dual purpose: it has been both the touchstone for the community of scholars of literature within this one university and a global forum for wide-ranging scholarly discussion and debate among writers and critics in every place and of every persuasion.

Over the years this journal has provided amplification for and access to sundry and diverse voices. By translating the writings of major scholars whose work was not previously available in English, Ralph and his editorial [End Page 681] colleagues have enabled readers in English-speaking nations to gain awareness of new and different writers from around the world. Likewise, NLH has made the work of English language scholars available to readers in foreign nations. In 1999, NLH became the first English language literary journal to be translated into Chinese. Readers also recognize the journal's diversity in the broad range of disciplines represented in its pages. NLH publishes the work of literary theorists and critics but also of philosophers, historians, anthropologists, and others whose varied perspectives contribute to the richness of discussion here.

We who have known Ralph as a friend and colleague appreciate his many contributions to life and learning here beyond his superb work as editor of NLH. As the William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of English, Ralph focused his teaching, research, and scholarship on eighteenth-century criticism, literary theory, and history. He taught and mentored many generations of students, preparing them for lives and careers as teachers and scholars.

Ralph also served as director of the University's Commonwealth Center for Literary and Cultural Change from 1988 to 1994. The center was established in partnership with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to examine issues related to changes in social, political, biological, and economic situations in nations around the globe. NLH became a quarterly publication in 1990, largely to accommodate a new stream of essays produced by persons affiliated with the center. To assist with the increased work load, Ralph appointed three associate editors—Herbert Tucker, David B. Morris, and Rita Felski, who now takes over as the capable new editor of NLH as Ralph steps aside.

By making New Literary History one of the central tasks of his life's work, Ralph Cohen has given a great gift to all who understand and appreciate how the careful study of literature enriches life and learning...

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