Other Stories to Tell: Scholarly Journal Editors as Archivists

Enabled in part by advances in digital technology, the archival turn in English studies and beyond is marked by a newfound enthusiasm for archival preservation, a democratization of access to primary materials, and a wholesale re-evaluation of the roles and epistemic function of archives. The archival turn comprises significant projects in feminist historical recovery, in participatory and community archives, and in archival pedagogies. In this article, however, we would like to consider another, perhaps more speculative, role for journal editors to assume as archivists-a role that is radically public, future-oriented, and consistent with our emerging understanding of ethical and accountable archiving practices in the wake of the archival turn. We contend that a kairotic moment is upon us to consider whether, why, and how to bring the previously invisible and ephemeral work of journal editing into public archives.