Editor’s Comments
Welcome to the December 2024 edition of Contexts!
Seasons greetings during these challenging times to all who celebrate December and January festivities, and to those who don’t.
This is a bumper edition of excellent articles, art and poetry. Some contributions were carried over from the September edition as this focused on the Turin Summer School, so I have put articles in date order of submission apart from Tija’s report on the Belgrade Symposium. I’ve included information on the upcoming online Winter Workshop in January and how to register for the event, other GASi activities, the GASi Fund and general announcements.
In my role as chair of the Online Communications sub-committee I’m delighted to announce that we are developing a new website. It will be more user friendly than the current website, with greater security. It means we can also update the WordPress software so that Contexts has better functionality. The membership will be informed when it goes live early in the New Year.
I have decided to step down as editor of Contexts so that I can focus my attention next year on the publication of the GA History book I have been editing for Karnac Books and commence an MA in Linguistics. This is my last publication as editor. There will be a new editor announced early in the New Year once they have been co-opted to the management committee. I leave the role with a mixture of sadness and joy at having some extra time for myself.
Being editor for the last three years has been such a privilege, especially communicating with many members across our international community. I have learnt so much from all those who have contributed and made Contexts a vibrant space for everyone. I am confident the new editor will continue the creativity.
Thank you to David Glyn and Peter Zelaskowski for trusting me enough to take on the role and to the membership for voting for me. I give huge thanks and warm hugs to Peter for his patience in training me for the task – I had no idea that I would be taking on such an IT challenge. I think Peter may have sometimes despaired of my technophobia and screen dyslexia. But we got there, and even though I still struggle with WordPress I think you wouldn’t know unless I told you!
Thank you Meri Rizzi for being such a creative editor of the Art and Poetry section of our newsletter. We have shared many happy moments together online. Meri is stepping down with this edition. Thank you Francesca Mineo for your work as Book Review Editor.
I often like to give you some videos I think are apposite for the times. And I have two for you now: Communication – Creature Comforts and First We Take Manhattan – Leonard Cohen. They are meaningful to me. I hope they are to some of you.
Warm wishes and hugs to you all. I look forward to seeing you in various spaces.