This is the first Focus to appear since September of 1982, and since that time, a great deal has occurred in the world of Graves criticism. Not long after the last Focus appeared, Martin Seymour-Smith's pioneering study of Graves' life appeared, followed shortly afterwards by R.P. Graves' biography of Graves' early life, The Assault Heroic. Furthermore, Paul O' Prey's two books Of Graves' selected letters, In Broken Images and Between Sun and Moon, have provided new perspectives of the writer that were previously unknown to scholars. Occasionally, perceptive articles on Graves have appeared in the hiatus since the last Focus, such as John Hildebidle's interesting comparison, "The War Memories Of Graves, Blunden, and Sassoon" in Modernism Reconsidered edited by R. Kiely, but there has been little else published about Graves since the forum of Focus has been in abeyance.

The major purport of this journal is to offer scholars of Robert Graves' work a place to publish their discoveries and speculations, much in the way that Ellsworth Mason's review of William P. Williams' bibliography opens this new series. Richard Schumaker's examination of Graves, Nietzsche, and Modernism offers an unusual perspective of Graves' little reviewed criticism of the Thirties. Anne Powell's article discusses the world of antiquarian book-selling with a special bent toward the literature of the Great War. Finally, Thomas Tulloss' paper on the work of John Peale Bishop exemplifies the broadening scope of the journal; we hope to publish articles on all types of World War One literature in order to broaden the appeal of the journal and to attempt to expand the journal's scope internationally. There will always be essays on Robert Graves in each number, but we anticipate printing articles on the literature of all combatant nations.

It is hoped that this journal will appear twice yearly, in May and in November. We would appreciate receiving submissions for publication at least two months before the next issue is due, and the ideal length of articles ranges from 500 to 2500 words. North American contributors are advised to send their manuscripts to the Editor in care of The University of Maryland, Department of English, APO New York 09102. The address for submissions from outside North America is The University of Maryland, English Department, 1m Bosseldorn 30, 6900 Heidelberg, F.R. Germany.

We launch the new series of Focus with high expectations and look forward to publishing articles of interest to academics, writers, and readers of Robert Graves and his contemporaries.