State by State Issue
Submission Deadline: November 14, 2016
On the 80th anniversary of the publication of the first State Guide in the American Guide Series, this call aims to gather work that responds to and expands on this iconic series published by the Works Progress Administration from 1937–41. We seek informed feature-style pieces of no more than 2,500 words on the arts (painting, music, literature, theatre), environment (built or natural), history, and folkways of a single state, with the goal of publishing one piece from each of the 11 states of the former Confederacy, as well as southern border states.
Submissions can explore any topic or theme related to the contemporary southern experience in the vein of the original State Guides, with a special interest in pieces that seek new understandings of the region and address its present successes and challenges. This is not intended to be a “corrective” but rather an expansion of or complement to past state guides. We welcome explorations of the region in the forms Southern Cultures publishes: scholarly articles, memoir, interviews, surveys, photo or art essays, and poetry.
As we also publish a digital edition, we are able to supplement essays with video, audio, and interactive visual content. We encourage creativity in coordinating print and digital materials in submissions and ask that authors submit any potential digital materials with their essay or introduction/artist’s statement.
We encourage authors to gain familiarity with the tone, scope, and style of our journal before submitting (you can browse all 88 issues here), and to contact us with any questions at hello@www.southerncultures.org.