This editorial appears in Volumes 4, 5, and 6 and is intended briefly to apologize for the delay in publication of these volumes, to announce that Gary Olson assumes duties as Editor for Volumes 7-12 (with a new Board), and to comment on various aspects of founding a journal in composition studies. Also, Karen Spear has assumed the position of Managing Editor for Volumes 4-12, an essential administrative function. In fact, Karen Spear's agreeing to serve, as much as any factor, enabled the publication of Volumes 4-6 and assured the future of the JAC through Volume 12 and beyond. Contributions should be sent to Gary Olson, and subscription matters addressed to Karen Spear. Succeeding Gary Olson and Tom Brennan as Book Review Editor is Kristin Woolever, who can be addressed on that subject. See inside back cover for all addresses.

JAC will continue to use anonymous peer review to decide on publication of articles submitted; Gary Olson has already set up a system that will produce a decision on acceptance within two months, a major improvement. As Editor, he has strong support from the University of South Florida, as does Karen Spear from the University of Utah. Northeastern University supports Kristin Woolever's work with book reviews. Thus the leadership represents the South, the West, and the East, a three-legged stool with stability.

JAC would not exist if it were not for substantial financial support from the University of South Alabama. The idea for JAC was mine; I had been asked to edit a newsletter for a newly formed Association of Teachers of Advanced Composition (ATAC) in 1979, but arbitrarily decided to make it something more. I was teaching advanced composition, knew of little scholarly literature on the subject, and thought a journal might be more likely to provide some expert advice than a newsletter. In other words, I assumed my own interests were more general than those reflected in the newsletter idea. Since then, ATAC has withered away, perhaps like the state in a Marxist myth, and JAC has survived.

I believe that in light of my modest talents as an editor and student of composition studies, I have done as much as I can do. I am happy to turn over the leadership of the JAC to those more deeply engaged than I in this nascent field of English studies. Not only are those three named—Olson, Spear, and Woolever—much more talented and accomplished in this field than I, but the new Board promises to reflect excellence on a national basis: Lynn Bloom, Joseph Comprone, Edward Corbett, Frank D'Angelo, Bertie Fearing, David Foster, Maxine Hairston, James Kinneavy, Cy Knoblauch, Janice Lauer, Elaine Maimon, Richard Marius, Lee Odell, Frank O'Hare, Marilyn Sternglass, Stephen Tchudi, Joseph Trimmer, Joseph Williams, and Ross Winterowd. Credit for assembling this Board belongs entirely to Gary Olson. Perhaps the focus of this group is not as restricted to advanced composition as is the case with the original Board, but breadth of interests can help the JAC.

I hope that the JAC continues to explore the teaching of writing beyond the freshman level. Often it is difficult to obtain good articles on this subject, but the existence of the journal should provide both a stimulus and an opportunity. We need a journal that focuses on advanced writing more than we need another general writing journal.

Were I to provide advice to someone beginning a journal, I would remind myself that people and money come first. Thus, I am particularly grateful to the original Board, especially Bernice Dicks, and to my University, especially the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, for funding. Then I would say that one cannot be both editor and Managing Editor at once, much less be Editor and/or Managing Editor without a regular year-round reduction in teaching duties. To proceed on this basis is to burn the candle at both ends and in the middle—I know because I found out the hard way. In fairness, I report that in six years I did receive a one-course reduction in teaching for a single quarter for JAC editing. Finally, a graduate assistant would be essential; at various times I was assigned work-study students who were charming and wonderful people, but those with the skills soon found better paying term-time jobs. As for the others, as I say, they were charming and wonderful. The four graduate assistants in my department were promised to our writing lab as a condition for a large grant from NEH; their exclusive use for tutoring made them indentured servants in a grammar ghetto, and unavailable for helping me edit a journal. So, to the prospective editor, I say that departmental support is as essential as the funding which normally derives from one's dean or vice president. Departmental support may be more difficult to come by than funding, so I would caution.

It would, of course, be a pity for someone of genuine talent to have experienced my founding-editor's blues, but in my case it probably doesn't matter all that much. The pool of melted wax which I had become (you must spend a summer in Mobile) underwent some sort of metamorphosis, so phoenix-like I arose, giving me hope to projects yet unattempted. In fact, just the other day my Dean, observing that my newly feathered form was perhaps a bit plump about the equator, asked if it represented growth or decay. Either way, I hope the JAC prospers so we might help our students to build more stately mansions, or at least to erect a decent shelter efficiently.