Today we at the White Horse Press announce a change to the editorship of Plant Perspectives. Issue 3.1 (published last week) marks John C. Ryan’s last as editor. We are hugely grateful to John for all his work in establishing Plant Perspectives and bringing it to the prominent position it already occupies in the field. While we are very sorry to say goodbye to John, we are delighted to announce that Joela Jacobs will take over as editor. Continuity will be provided by Isis Brook remaining as Deputy Editor, a role she has fulfilled admirably since the journal’s inception. Below, John takes his leave and Joela introduces herself. We are confident that Plant Perspectives will continue to flourish under Joela, nourished by the strong roots put down by John.
John C. Ryan writes:
It’s been a pleasure and privilege serving as Editor of Plant Perspectives since the idea germinated between late-2022 and early-2023. In a remarkably short period of time, the journal has become a well-regarded outlet for both traditional and creative scholarship in the swiftly evolving field of interdisciplinary plant studies. Plant Perspectives continues to benefit from the expertise of a global editorial team consisting of Deputy Editor Dr Isis Brook, Associate Editors, Reviews Editors, Creative Submissions Editors, Post-graduate Representatives, Outreach Coordinators, and Editorial Board Members from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. The dedication of Dr Sarah Johnson and James Rice of The White Horse Press to the journal’s growth has been inspirational to me. Considering the exceptional plant-people involved, I’m confident the journal will continue to flourish in coming years. The April. General issue (just released) will, be followed by a Special Issue on Palms later in 2026. On this departing note, I’m delighted to introduce you to the next Editor of Plant Perspectives, Dr Joela Jacobs of the University of Arizona. As an Editorial Board Member and peer reviewer, Joela is already closely acquainted with the journal’s aims, ethos and operations. A warm welcome to her and very best wishes!
Joela Jacobs writes:
I am excited to take on this new role as Editor of Plant Perspectives. You can learn more about me here, but in a nutshell, I am Associate Professor of German Studies at the University of Arizona and have been maintaining the Literary and Cultural Plant Studies Network since its founding a decade ago. Over the last years, I have been so impressed watching my colleague Dr John C. Ryan build and grow what is the first journal dedicated to plant studies and now a central voice in our shared interdisciplinary field. Thank you, John, for steering this important work and assembling such a strong team of scholars in support of this endeavour. I look forward to learning from every one of them, most importantly the experience and expertise of Deputy Editor Dr Isis Brook. I am also grateful to Dr Sarah Johnson and James Rice of White Horse Press for their warm welcome and support in all matters – from the technical to the strategic. I count myself lucky to get to work collaboratively with such a close-knit team of people who care deeply about the success of this venture, including a very active roster of Associate Editors, Review Editors, Creative Submissions Editors, Post-graduate Representatives, Outreach Coordinators, and Editorial Board Members. In the spirit of transparency and open communication, please reach out any time with ideas or questions – whether you are a (potential) reader, author, reviewer or member of the Plant Perspectives team. Isis and I are looking to grow the journal in sync with the many directions of the field, and we are also continuing the challenge of securing its financial foundations. In that vein, we invite you to reach out to your libraries for subscription support, and we welcome donations (for more details, see here). Most importantly, we hope you will submit your research or consider proposing a special issue. Plant Perspectives is your journal, and it flourishes because of your contributions.
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