As in the past years, most of the contents of this issue of Border States was originally presented as conference papers at meetings of the Kentucky/Tennessee American Studies Association--in this case, at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, in 1995, and at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in 1996. As in past years also, most of the papers focus of the topics identified by Thomas Blues in the 1995 Border States as being of continuing interest to the organization's members.

The cultural and political geography of the region draws the attention of two writers. Rebecca Vial describes the surprising economic and racial unconventionality of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. James Copeland documents the relationship of antebellum voting patterns and attitudes towards secession in Kentucky and Tennessee.

Discussions of material culture are somewhat newer topics for this journal. They are provocatively introduced by Anne-Leslie Owens' research on painted interiors in several Tennessee houses, and by Suzanne Woolley Smith's study of the Nashville monument to the women of the Confederacy.

Prominent writers of the region again aspire original critical studies. Jonathan Cullick investigates Robert Penn Warren's travel writing, and Sara Lewis Dunne discusses characters who cross physical and social borders in fictional works by Peter Taylor. A literary voice probably less familiar to readers of this journal is that of Joy Bale-Boone, captured in an interview with Loretta Martin Murrey. A more familiar Boone -- Daniel -- perhaps connects the papers by Murrey and Cullick; and all three literary papers may be connected by an interest in what we might call literary geography.

Since Border States #11 will be the last issued edited by Michael Dunne and Sarah M. Howell, we wish to thank the colleagues, institutions, and contributors who have made our editorial responsibilities a pleasure as well as a privilege since 1981. The officers of the Kentucky/ Tennessee A.S.A.--and especially our Secretary-Treasurer, Gene Forderhase--have continuously supported our endeavors, as have the History and English departments of Middle Tennessee State University. We would also like to express our appreciation to our board of editors, Tom Blues, Jack Cooke, and Allison Ensor, for their generous cooperation and counsel.

Our successors, Ellen Donovan and Mary Hoffschwelle, of, respectively, the English and History departments of MTSU, have kindly assisted in preparing this issue. Future submissions and other correspondence related to the journal should be addressed to them. Thank you, finally, for your patience and attention!