The likes of William Faulkner and Rod Serling notwithstanding, apparently “historical fiction” has become a thing. Imagine my surprise when I accidentally visited the National Endowment for the Humanities website (h-net.org) some months ago and thought to enter some search terms in the databases of conferences and requests-for-papers., as long as I was there. What to my wondering eyes should appear something tailor made for the Agincourt Project. In fact, the First Interdisciplinary Historical Fictions Research Network Conference will occur at Ruskin College, Cambridge University, in the U.K. on 27-28 February this year. And among its thirty-five participants you will find one Rowan Ramsey, my assumed identity for the conference; come on Sunday from 11:30 to 13:00 for my session if you haven’t already heard too much about Agincourt, Iowa.

It’s a given that I not only can, but will, talk about Agincourt and Fennimore county at sufficient length to test the endurance of the Buddha, so the challenge will be compressing that material into about twenty minutes, there being two other participants in that session. I’m honored (it should go without saying but I’ll say it anyway) to represent our department at such an event. And I welcome the invitation to share with an international audience a project that has welcomed and/or conscripted the participation of so many toward making it something worth sharing.

PS: The Fortune magazine cover art from the Arpil 1938 issue was created by John O’Hara Cosgrave II. Would that I could solicit his services as illustrator.