I am delighted to introduce the Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era’s new book review editor. Daniel Platt, Assistant Professor of Legal Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield, is a scholar of law, political economy, and political culture. He teaches a wide range of courses that reflect that expertise – I wish I could take “Law, Film, and Popular Culture”! He has published articles in the Journal of American History¸ History of the Present, and Book History. He is also the author of The Price of Misfortune: Rights and Wrongs in Indebted America (University of Chicago Press 2023), a study of late nineteenth-century struggles over debtors’ rights. According to the historian Amy Dru Stanley, The Price of Misfortune “is a terrific book; standing at the intersection of legal, cultural, and economic history [that] … will surely become a leading contribution to all of these fields.” Dr. Platt’s current research concerns the history of religion and the prison abolition movement. As book review editor, he will continue to expand and deepen our coverage of the most innovative scholarship in our field. I’m excited to welcome him to JGAPE.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank outgoing book review editor, Joseph Locke. I’m especially grateful to Joe for keeping the reviews section up and running during a global pandemic, despite shouldering heavy teaching and administrative burdens at his own institution. And I’d like to congratulate him on his new position at the University of North Texas.

I also say goodbye to Rosanne Currarino, who has served as JGAPE’s editor since January 2020. Despite beginning her term during the COVID-19 pandemic, she has overseen some of JGAPE’s most innovative and imaginative endeavors – consider, for instance, the special issues on music and sound (October 2023) and literary studies (January 2024). I’ll miss Rosanne’s energy, enthusiasm, and wicked sense of humor. I wish her the best as she completes her fascinating book, Oranges, Inc.: Incorporating America from the Ground Up, 1870–1910.

That said, I’m happy to report that JGAPE remains in good hands as Brian Ingrassia transitions from co-editor to editor. I’m confident he and Daniel will continue JGAPE’s tradition of editorial excellence. I can’t wait to see what’s next.