Reflections of a Former Editor

My first issue as Editor of Letras Femeninas: A Journal of Women and Gender Studies in Hispanic Literatures and Cultures was also an anniversary issue: Volume 41.1 (Verano 2015). Against many odds, a publication that had begun as a dozen mimeographed pages stapled to green or purple covers had become an internationally recognized academic journal celebrating its fortieth anniversary. That special issue, numbering 391 pages, was a fitting testament to the journal's vitality. When I first held the published volume in my hands, I remembered what Adelaida López de Martínez (editor from 1988 to 1999) had said on the journal's twentieth anniversary, borrowing the slogan from Virginia Slims cigarettes marketed to women in the 1970s and 1980s: “We've come a long way, baby.” By 2015, smoking had thankfully declined in many parts of the world, but the journal was stronger than ever.I approached the opportunity to write my first editorial column with a mix of excitement and trepidation. Re-reading that “Editor's Preface/Mensaje Editorial” a decade later, I realize I managed to edit away the signs of anxiety—but I hope it still conveys the excitement I felt. Looking back at the issues published during my tenure as editor, I am proud of what we accomplished. And by “we,” I mean the many people who made each issue possible: my associate editor who meticulously managed formatting and kept a record of submissions; an outstanding, collaborative editorial board; hundreds of dedicated ad-hoc reviewers; invited editors of special issues; and the many contributors whose articles enriched the journal. I am also grateful for the book review section—thoughtfully curated by Diane Marting—which expanded the journal's reach through reviews of monographs, edited volumes, and translations. I subtitled my first editorial “Between Continuity and Innovation” and outlined six objectives I had shared with the (then called) AILCFH Executive Committee when applying to be considered for Editor. Among them were: a) bringing the journal into the digital era by launching an online version;b) gradually transitioning from the rubric of Letras femeninas while recognizing some members’ desire to preserve the original name;c) maintaining and frequently consulting active editorial board;d) ensuring a balance between essays by senior scholars and emerging voices; ande) increasing parity between studies of Peninsular and Latin American authors, and between contemporary authors and those from earlier eras.Some of these goals were fully realized; others remained aspirational. Beginning with issue 41.1, every issue appeared both in print and online, and the digital version soon became the preferred format among members—partly for reasons of accessibility and cost. While some long-standing members of AILCFH opposed removing the original title, we compromised with a new design that emphasized the initials “L” and “f” in vivid colors against a black background, accompanied by the subtitle A Journal of Women the experience is both challenging and deeply gratifying.The uncertainties currently facing humanities departments and journals are undeniable, and they pose real challenges for the continued vitality of publications like the Journal of Gender and Sexualities. Yet I take heart in remembering the formidable obstacles faced by the journal's founders in the early 1970s, when, as Carmen de Urioste wrote in Volume 41.1, the study of women's writing by Hispanic women was doubly marginalized—by its focus on women and by its focus on Hispanic authors. That the journal not only survived but flourished and expanded its reach over five decades is cause for well-deserved celebration. Both the journal and the organization that sustains it are in very capable hands, so here's a toast to the next decade!