AS PMLA BEGINS its third year of publishing articles accepted under our now not-so-new editorial policy, it occurs to me that in writing these “Editor's Columns” I have failed to stress what is perhaps the most radical feature of the new policy—the idea that PMLA is intended to be read. Most of the articles written for scholarly journals are not, I think, so intended, not, at least, at the time they first appear in print. They are written to be consulted, not necessarily today but at some time in the future, probably the distant future. Articles in PMLA are also, of course, intended for future consultation, but the hope is that, unlike most scholarly articles, those appearing in PMLA—which have had up to nine favorable readings before acceptance—are of such importance that they can be read by scholars with the same interest, if not fervor, that one brings to the reading of an article in, say, Harper's or The New Yorker. Recognizing that the articles for scholarly journals are traditionally not expected to entrance and delight readers in the same way that New Yorker articles are expected to entrance and delight, one still hopes that there are in each issue of PMLA at least a few articles that can be read on receipt with something approaching pleasure.