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Editor's Notes

Editor's Note, January/February 2011

Many of us will contemplate the Civil War during the sesquicentennial, and Randall Fuller inaugurates the proceedings with a study of how the war changed the poetry of Walt Whitman.

By David Skinner

humanities, January/February, 2011, Volume 32, Issue 1

Editor's Note, November/December 2010

Here’s a scary thought on the eve of the Civil War sesquicentennial: In the 1860 election, Abraham Lincoln was utterly beatable.

By David Skinner

humanities, November/December, 2010, Volume 31, Issue 6

Editor's Note, September/October 2010

The great fear of those in the business of promoting the humanities is that people will realize we have nothing new to say.

By David Skinner

humanities, September/October, 2010, Volume 31, Issue 5

Editor's Note, July/August 2010

The natural and the supernatural, the mental and the moral, verse and adversity all make an appearance in this issue of HUMANITIES.

By David Skinner

humanities, July/August, 2010, Volume 31, Issue 4

Editor's Note, May/June 2010

I become uneasy whenever someone mentions the “lessons of history.” Not that history doesn’t offer lessons, it’s just that many of the lessons, I find, are hardly the kind of rules for living that can

By David Skinner

humanities, May/June, 2010, Volume 31, Issue 3

Editor's Note, March/April 2010

A few weeks ago, zipping through some recent American writings on Buddhism, I came across an article by a Buddhist named Damaris Williams. It was about a meditation marathon she’d taken part in.

By David Skinner

humanities, March/April, 2010, Volume 31, Issue 2

Editor's Note, January/February 2010

During a recession, everyone reaches for their green eyeshade. Unless it’s cheap, we don’t buy it. If it’s not certain to pay off, we don’t invest.

By David Skinner

humanities, January/February, 2010, Volume 31, Issue 1

Editor's Note, November/December 2009

“Bridging cultures” is the watchword here at NEH since the appointment of Jim Leach to the chairman’s office.

By David Skinner

humanities, November/December, 2009, Volume 30, Issue 6

Editor's Note, September/October 2009

“Only connect,” E. M. Forster wrote. But if you are a humanist looking to transmit a message from the far corners of research to a truly public audience, doing so can seem impossible.

By David Skinner

humanities, September/October, 2009, Volume 30, Issue 5

Editor's Note, July/August 2009

I have become a regular purchaser of old books, and as I pull these worn-out tomes from my mailbox I wonder if anyone else is still reading these particular works.

By David Skinner

humanities, July/August, 2009, Volume 30, Issue 4