RIP

I just learned today of Al Labriola's passing earlier this week. As a relative newcomer to the Milton world, I didn't know Al well, but I benefited from his meticulous dedication. I was a grad student when I submitted a chapter of my dissertation to Milton Studies, and I was thrilled when I received a revise & resubmit request. Since I'd done a lot of cutting and had a bigger chapter to draw from, I revised quickly and sent off a new draft. This began a protracted back-and-forth over the next few weeks: Al personally read each draft I prepared and suggested new revisions. I think this happened about six times, and he always got my drafts back to me in a matter of days. I'm sure he was exasperated by me--in fact, at one point, he suggested I slow down and take some more time with my revisions. On my end, I was baffled that an editor would take so much time, but it also dawned on me how much care he was putting into the journal and into my work; a less patient editor wouldn't have invested so much time into making sure a grad student's work would make it into print.

I got to meet Al in person at the first Milton Society Dinner I attended. Anyone who's ever been will know how much care he put into such events, and how much calm pleasure he took in them. Al was a gatekeeper into the Milton community. Fortunately for anxious up-and-comers like me, he played the role with generosity and genuine thoughtfulness.