From the Editor


The new millennium, TWO THOUSAND YEARS and counting, a time to celebrate ... the quarter century, twenty-five year anniversary of the publication of the first volume of Balkanistica! Well, actually, the first Balkanistica carried a publication date of 1974, so officially it has been twenty-six years since the journal was started, yet it seems somehow fitting to celebrate the journal's continued success alongside the dawn of a new millennium. Volume 13 is a special millennial issue. I hope you aren't superstitious. This volume makes its debut at the first Balkan and South Slavic Linguistics, Literature and Folklore conference of the twenty-first century, a conference which is another sign that Balkan studies is alive and well. It is the editor's hope that this and other conferences dealing with Balkan studies will become fertile ground for many a future Balkanistica article. It is not only Balkan linguistics, literature and folklore which are today areas of prominent study. Indeed, the world recently has seen a number of events which could only be considered "flash points" in Balkan history, albeit very sad and unpleasant ones: the Bosnian and Kosovo conflicts, the refugees in Albania and Macedonia, and others. Research in the disciplines of Balkan history, political science, etc. will no doubt receive an accompanying "jolt." I am bracing for a relatively large influx of manuscripts submitted in these areas; in fact, this process has already begun.

Volume 13 presents seven articles, two review articles and a large group of book reviews, a healthy set of pieces. And note the international nature of the articles. Interestingly, you will see that I have moved Dina Iordanova's article, "Are the Balkans Admissible: The Discourse on Europe," to the "leadoff spot" in this volume in order to highlight a burning issue, provoke thought and stimulate discussion. It somehow seems appropriate to ask the question of where the people of the Balkans see themselves at the turn of the century.

I wish to extend a special thanks to John Treadway for his help in the editing of this volume, as well as to those who served as manuscript evaluators this past year. Until the next time.

Donald L. Dyer, Editor, March 1, 2000, Oxford, Mississippi