Message from the Editor

After completing the December 2018 issue, Tobie Meyer-Fong stepped down as editor-in-chief of Late Imperial China, taking a very well-deserved break that we hope will soon lead to more wonderful books like Building Culture and What Remains. In 2004, Tobie became associate editor of the journal, then under the editorship of William Rowe. Since 2007, Tobie served as editor, for six years together with Janet Theiss, and from 2013 as sole editor and from 2014 as editor-in-chief, with a newly created editorial board of associate editors. During the fifteen years in which Tobie has been affiliated with the journal, and the twelve years in which she has led it, Tobie has ushered through to publication well over a hundred articles and essays that have shaped the ever-changing field of Ming-Qing studies. She has been an inspirational mentor and colleague to the journal's authors and associate editors alike. It is hard to imagine this journal without her, and we only hope that, as a benevolent Tai Shang Editor, Tobie will continue to inspire and guide us.

The June 2019 issue also marks some changes among the associate editors. Dorothy Ko and Carla Nappi stepped down after the December 2018 issue, having served since 2014. Dorothy and Carla brought a great deal of expertise and creativity to the editorial board, and the journal has benefited immensely. With the June 2019 issue, Thomas Buoye and Roberta Wue join the board as associate editors. Tobie created the position of associate editor in 2013, setting the journal on a solid organizational foundation. Collectively, our eight associate editors offer broad disciplinary expertise, allowing the journal to further the commitment that Tobie and Janet articulated in 2007 of publishing innovative and important work by scholars of late imperial China working in a range of disciplines, approaching their research from a variety of perspectives, and based throughout the world, and of mentoring the work of junior scholars.