Hiya folks,
As many of you know, the late Artimus Keiffer founded H-Material-Culture in 2006. Four years later, health problems forced him to step down and I responded to his call for new editors in November 2010. As a subscriber to H-Material-Culture and an already trained and certified H-Net editor, I was able to step in quickly in an emergency situation so I volunteered with the condition that someone else would take over from me soon. Six years later, it's time for that someone to come forward. I've had a ton of fun here, and I honestly think close reading of the hundreds (or thousands) of posts that have come through here in the past six years has been the most educational part of my academic life. Now I hope someone new will enjoy it as much as I have, and find it equally rewarding.
I can't say it enough: the H-Net platform allows for so much and I hope a new crew find a use for it all. I hope new editors will see this space as something like a magazine that is currently printing blank pages, save for a few CFP's and Announcements. I'd like to find people who will keep those essential functions going, but also fill the remainder of the pages with vibrant material, like I have not been able to do: from podcasts to blogs to news and multi-media peer-reviewed publications that revolutionize material culture studies and revitalize academic publishing. And also a few good arguments now and then; would that be so bad? The tools, the need, and the audience are all here. H-Net staff provides great training and a ton of tech support, and can customize this platform to make exactly what editors want.
So I hope you'll think about it and contact me at editorial-material-culture@mail.h-net.msu.edu and let me know if you're interested in helping out. There are a variety of ways you can do so and I'll answer whatever questions you have and try to convince you it's not as much work as people say it is. I'll also be around as editor of H-Material-Culture until some new folks are on board and can certainly stick around to help transition things into eager new hands before I shuffle off into the sunset.
Patrick
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