Dear Colleagues and Friends,
I hope that you have had a pleasant summer! If you are anything like me or most of my colleagues, you are greeting the fall with a mix of astonishment at the rapid passage of time, and happy/apprehensive anticipation of cooler weather and the return of students (for those who teach) and the fuller fall slate of cultural and/or sports events.
I will write with news about Academy activities after the fall Council Meeting. I should also at that point be able to provide an update about the search for the next editor of Speculum, which is proceeding apace. For now, I am happy to report that the Centennial Grants Committee received an impressive number of exciting applications for educational and cultural activities related to the upcoming centennial year celebrations.
I also have the sad task of informing you of the loss of a beloved longtime member, Fellow, and Past President of the MAA (2010-2011). As many of you already know, Peggy died on August 8, peacefully, in her own home, having said goodbye to friends and family. She will be missed and warmly remembered by generations of scholars in the U.S. and Europe. There will be a full memorial to Peggy in a forthcoming issue of Speculum, and I know that several events honoring her life and work are being planned in various venues. I myself will miss Peggy dearly. She was a remarkable scholar, a fierce critic, and the warmest and most caring mentor and friend anyone could have. I was able to visit her a few days before she died; she held my hand and, waving aside questions about her health, steered the conversation toward medieval history in general, and the Medieval Academy in particular. I know that she would urge us all to continue to work, to collaborate, and to care for each other.
I wish everyone (in the U.S. that, is) a happy Labor Day and fine fall!
Sara Lipton
