It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your president this year. I was appointed to my first MLA committee thirteen years ago; I was elected to the Executive Council ten years ago; I have been an officer of the association for the past three years. And it is a most curious thing—the MLA is one of the few organizations I've known whose internal workings appear more impressive the closer you look. My thanks to Rosemary Feal and all the other members of the senior staff, who have been so wonderful to work with, and my thanks to all of you for being here tonight, postponing dinner for a while and joining me for my first and last Presidential Address.