Nexus: The International Henry Miller Journal is an annual periodical dedicated to preserving the legacy of Henry Miller and the Villa Seurat Circle.

Having passed the 70th anniversary of Tropic of Cancer, Henry Miller's reputation stands at an important crossroads. While his books continue to sell at an admirable pace, Miller — as he predicted in The World of Sex — is far too often dismissed as either a thoughtless misogynist or as an outdated pornographer. Indeed, as a perusal of the scholarly output will attest, those writing on Miller will almost inevitably begin with a diatribe against the (Anglo-American) academy that has systematically written a space around Miller and his work. No more.

If Miller Studies is to thrive, its practitioners need to acknowledge that critical injustices, theoretical biases, and socio-cultural movements have "conspired" to place Miller at the margins of the canon — and move on. Too much important work on Miller and his circle needs to be done to pine over what should have been accomplished. As the first volume of Nexus: The International Henry Miller Journal suggests, new approaches to Miller and his circle will allow readers to experience the texts with an enriched critical appreciation.

The editors offer Nexus: The International Henry Miller Journal in the spirit of scholarly eclecticism, and our guiding critical principle holds that articles should help our audience expand their understanding of Miller and his circle in some small way. Consequently, we welcome all approaches, whether traditional or avant-garde, academic or not.

The editors hope that you enjoy these fresh visions of the Villa Seurat Circle and also that they help you look upon the group's texts with new eyes. The editors feel that the quest for emotionally honest art and self-fulfillment represented by the various Villa Seurat figures should be studied from a variety of angles and contexts. We therefore welcome all approaches that illuminate the works and lives of artists and writers such as:

• Henry Miller
• Brassaï
• Lawrence Durrell
• David Edgar
• Michael Fraenkel
• Hilaire Hiler
• Walter Lowenfels
• June Miller
• Conrad Moricand
• Anaïs Nin
• Alfred Perlès
• Man Ray
• Hans Reichel
• Betty Ryan