This Book Has Been a long time in the making. First the COVID-19 pandemic created a severe disruption of public health, social culture, and academic integrity, and then the brutal invasion of Ukraine has left many of us disoriented and discouraged. But especially in dismal times like these, when sound and fury haunt us so terribly, the arts and scholarship must go on, providing us with insights, questions, and meaning, which the world otherwise so often seems to be sadly lacking.

In this spirit, I thank all contributors for their essays and patience; perhaps we have forged a community of diverse spirits that will last beyond the publication of this volume. I am very grateful to Jim Walker, the Editorial Director at Camden House, for making this project possible. His staff has been equally supportive in countless administrative matters. I could not have asked for a more experienced, infinitely patient, and promptly helpful team.