Letter from the Editor

This issue of Sign Language Studies begins with two articles commemorating the ninetieth anniversary (July 21, 2009) of the birth of William C. Stokoe, the journal’s founder, and the tenth anniversary of his passing (April 4, 2010). The articles are reprinted from The Study of Signed Languages, a volume of essays produced in celebration of his eightieth birthday. These articles are followed by a commentary piece concerning interpretations (and misinterpretations) of Bill’s seminal concept, “semantic phonology.” Next are two articles that deal with one of the principal preoccupations of his life’s work—the possible impact of signed languages on the education of deaf children. Fittingly, these articles describe educational programs in two widely separated parts of the world: the United States and Argentina. The first article, by Cynthia Bailes and her colleagues, draws quite literally on Bill’s legacy—its preparation was supported by income from a generous gift of an endowment to Gallaudet University, which he made just before his death. (Those wishing to support the William C. Stokoe Jr. Chair of Ethnographic Studies in Deaf Language and Culture should contact the Gallaudet Development Office.) The issue ends with a review of a book that might seem, at first glance, like an odd choice for this journal. It was chosen for two reasons: It gives a slight nod in the direction of Bill’s early career as a scholar of English literature, and it deals with an important discussion, however flawed, of the underlying role of vision and visual representation in the development of human language and poetry. We believe that those familiar with the body of Stokoe’s work will see the connection. More generally, we hope that readers will find this issue a fitting tribute to a most distinguished and influential human being.