The Inner Room: Editorial (ACD Journal vol. 8)
The Inner Room: Editorial [Vol. 8] is an article written by Christopher Roden published in the A.C.D. - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society (Vol. 8, 1998).
This editorial announces structural changes to the Arthur Conan Doyle Society's publications, especially the end of The Parish Magazine as a separate publication and the return of A.C.D. journal to bi-annual form. It also urges members to contribute more actively to the journal and to support the Friends of the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection in preserving Conan Doyle material for future research.
Editorial
The time has come for change. As explained in a letter sent to all members of the Society in September, it is no longer possible to continue with production of The Parish Magazine. As a result, that publication is being combined with ACD, which will revert to bi-annual publication. The decision was not taken lightly — indeed, other more far-reaching changes were considered, including winding up the Society altogether.
So drastic a move would have caused disappointment to a great many people — myself more than most; but after almost ten years of operating a Society and producing publications — obtaining contributions for which is, on occasion, as painful as having teeth extracted — one considers these things.
You see, Journals do not write themselves. They take many hours. to put together once the material is available, and it can be rather soul-destroying to see hours of hard work and effort greeted with almost total silence and no reaction from readers. Inevitably one feels. that the choice of material has not been sufficiently good to generate comment; alternatively, and more generously, one wonders whether silence is an indication of total satisfaction on the part of subscribers.
Time and again we have encouraged input on material that we publish in ACD. Invariably such encouragement has been greeted with virtual silence. Indeed, one can count on the fingers of one hand the people who are likely to write following publication of a new issue of the Journal. Is it any wonder that we question whether the effort is worthwhile?
In recent months, however, there has been some indication that things might just-be changing a little, and the fact that we are able to include a lengthy letters section in this issue is more than pleasing. We hope that this trend continues-but such matters, of course, rest with the readers.
Continuing successful publication is in the hands of the Society's members, and once again it is time to appeal for contributions for future issues. Our subject offers endless opportunities, as is shown in this issue by Takashi Ishii, who considers one of ACD's close friends, W.K. Burton, and the time he spent in Japan. There is so much that we can find out by sharing even small pieces of information-and it is the small pieces which go towards completing the jigsaw of knowledge of ACD.
As we approach the Society's tenth anniversary, the time seems right to express the hope that more members will feel that they have a valid contribution to make in future years.
The change to bi-annual publication brings with it a change in the format of the Journal, and readers will note that this issue adopts a format more associated with books than with ephemeral publications. We believe that the new format provides a feeling of permanence to the Journal; it also gives us a little more flexibility from a production point of view. Members' comments will be welcomed.
Finally an appeal to those of you who have not already supported the Friends of the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection. The Friends are off to a good start, having already recruited the support of some seventy-five individuals. But there is a long way to go. I do not need to emphasise the importance of securing the Collection for future generations, or the need to have funds available to make important acquisitions which can benefit anyone who wishes to study Conan Doyle's work-all of that is commonsense. This is simply a request that those who have not yet committed to the project should consider doing so without further delay. A range of subscription options is available, and no sum is too small if it helps to secure the legacy of Conan Doyle into the twenty-first century. Elsewhere in this issue, Doug Wrigglesworth, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Friends, outlines aims and plans. Please take the time to read it; then please take the time to write out a cheque for whatever level of subscription you feel you can afford: even a minimum-level donation of $25Cdn (£10/U.S.$16.50) will help. If every member of this Society donated that basic sum, the Friends would be well on their way to securing funding for the acquisition of a Conan Doyle manuscript. Is it not worth being able to share in that? Very many of us often eagerly expend much larger sums than $25 for items that are trivial in nature, but which we care, nonetheless, to have in our personal collections. Now is the time for a broader view-a charitable view, if you prefer. Why should each of us not consider foregoing one small acquisition to help a much greater cause? The letters column is open to those who can show good reason for feeling otherwise.
Christopher Roden
- Article courtesy Christopher Roden, founder of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society (1989-2003).
