This final issue of volume 57 includes scholarly contributions encompassing a wide historical range, from ancient to the contemporary, and disciplinary orientations, from history, literature, cultural studies, and urban studies to Islamic jurisprudence. As this issue reveals, Iranian studies continue to flourish in established disciplines just as they expand further into film, media, and cultural issues.
This issue also includes two review essays, six reviews, and a response to a book review that appeared in the previous issue. This response reflects the journal's commitment to facilitating constructive dialogue across disciplinary boundaries and recognizing the challenges of adjusting from one disciplinary orientation to another.
I also would like to announce a new initiative aimed at supporting early-career scholars’ entry into academic publishing. Following discussions among the members of the editorial board, Dr. Farshad Sonboldel, the journal's deputy editor, designed a comprehensive ten-week workshop on the fundamentals of research and academic writing that he will deliver over Zoom in spring 2025. We plan to announce this pilot program later this winter and offer it to a limited number of participants who will be selected through an online application process. As a literary scholar and the world history and cultures librarian at the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Sonboldel has acquired a great deal of experience guiding students and scholars on best practices in academic writing and communication. The robust curriculum he has put together will address issues such as transforming a conference presentation into an article, evaluating sources, understanding differences between Persian and English scholarly and rhetorical traditions, and formulating and structuring an argument. I am grateful to Dr. Sonboldel and the journals’ associate and book review editors, who will assist him with specific aspects of the workshop, for their commitment to supporting and building a vibrant community of scholars across the globe.
