Editor's Note

Around 2004–05, shortly after Robert P. Maccubbin stepped down after twenty-four years as editor of Eighteenth-Century Life and we had moved the journal to the University of Wyoming, Adam Potkay generously agreed to serve as our book-review editor. Readers have frequently complimented us on the quality, thoroughness, and authoritativeness of our reviews; of course, those compliments should go to the reviewers, but also to Adam, who assigned the reviews, and who then encouraged, nurtured, directed, and coaxed our authors along patiently and enthusiastically. And even though we live 2,000 miles apart, I have been in constant touch with Adam (thanks to the miracle of technology), and have come to regard him as a partner, always available for feedback, advice, information, a second opinion. Adam's contributions go well beyond just the book-review editorship. As a colleague of Bob's at William & Mary, and as one of Bob's editors, Adam has been involved in putting together the journal for over twenty-five years. Indeed, he's actually the journal's shadow general editor, taking over whenever Bob went on sabbatical (which explains how it was possible to publish a commemorative issue in Bob's honor without Bob knowing anything about it). It would be fair to say that Adam has had a great deal to do with the character, style, and quality of the journal.

Adam has decided to step down as book-review editor to pursue other projects (although, one might add that he's been producing first-rate, award-winning scholarship for all these years that he has also been affiliated with Eighteenth-Century Life). I thank him for his many years of dedicated work on our behalf, but more, for his friendship; working with Adam has been among the highlights of my academic career. I am glad to say that Adam has agreed to remain on our editorial board, which means that he will still be involved with the journal.

Well, the world changes, people move on, and the next day, the sun gets up as usual. I am pleased to report that our new book-review editor, another extremely accomplished scholar, will be Ashley Marshall (University of Nevada-Reno), who has already contributed significantly, as an author, reviewer, and editorial-board member, to Eighteenth-Century Life. I'm very much looking forward to working with Ashley.