In Memoriam

One of the greatest achievements of my friend Joe Skerrett’s career was winning the Council of Editors of Learned Journals Distinguished Editor Award. As the judges recognized, his service in his chosen field was heroic, pathbreaking, and immensely influential and valuable. During Joe’s twelve years as editor of MELUS , what was once an obscure journal with limited circulation became the leading periodical in the field of ethnic literary studies. Once produced on a shoestring, it now appears as a major publication of Oxford University Press. It is, in large measure, the wise, prescient leadership of Joe Skerrett that we have to thank for the rich legacy of both the journal and The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States. He took the helm as president of the society for a term and then served as a crucial advisor to his successors, including me. During my term, he helped me navigate the difficult shoals of selecting his successor as journal editor (who luckily turned out to be Veronica Makowsky) and establishing new MELUS chapters in India and Europe.

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