What might a journal be?

Abstract

After more than a decade of publication, postmedieval has a new editorial team. As the fledgling Editors-in-Chief, we couldn't be more excited to continue the legacy of conceptual adventure, stylistic experiment, and political and ethical urgency that was so powerfully established by the previous editors (Eileen A. Joy, Myra Seaman, Lara Farina, and Holly A. Crocker) as well as by the many guest-editors, whose visions over the years transformed what a 'journal of medieval cultural studies' could be. During the last year, the three of us, together with our Managing Editor, Dr. Francesca Petrizzo, have assembled a new editorial board, built a digital platform (http://tinyurl.com/ postmedievaljournal), called for submissions, negotiated the ethics of peer review, corresponded with authors, read brilliant articles-in-process, and tested new possibilities for scholarly encounter and expression.In the midst of these tasks, we've also found ourselves reflecting on academic publishing. What is a scholarly journal for, and what can it bring about? How might inclusion and equity be best practiced by editors? How do the material conditions of postmedieval affect its identity-for instance, that it is owned by a