Today and Tomorrow: Meeting the Digital Challenge

Abstract

I was finishing up on the last day of a VISAWUS conference I organized in Austin in 2003 when Bill Scheuerle and Richard Fulton encouraged me to apply for the editorship at VPR. I was then co-editing a slick biannual titled The Journal of Texas Music History at Texas State University. I knew how much work went into producing that publication. I thought a quarterly would be twice the work but twice the fun because I could keep up on the latest research in my field of Victorian Eventually I received a very supportive acceptance letter from Laurel Brake, and I used my frequent flyer miles to meet with Bill in Florida so I could make a smooth transition. He supplied me with about two years of essays, a timely publication schedule with the University of Toronto Press, and an efficient editing system kept in tune by his assistant, Robin Rogers. My first visible presence as editor was evident in 38:1 (Spring 2005) with a change to vanilla parchment paper stock and matching page color. In my editor's comments I explained: Parchment reminds me of the elegant look displayed in early Victorian literary annuals, and our trademark framing design replicates decorative features often found in periodicals of a later artistic period. I suggested this stylistic union as a reminder of our mission to better understand the fascinating diversity of Victorian periodicals. I also began to feature the Table of