Call for Articles – Oklahoma HUMANITIES Magazine
The Oklahoma Humanities Council is the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. This “call for articles” is for the Fall/September 2014 issue of our magazine, which will feature the topic of “The Great War.” Inclusion is honorary; compensation consists of 5 copies of the issue in which your article appears.
You can view the magazine online at:
http://www.okhumanities.org/publications [current issue]
http://www.okhumanities.org/archives [archives]
THE GREAT WAR – WORLD WAR I
As the centennial of The Great War plays out over the next four years, we’ll be steeped in documentaries, war maps, and memorial activities. Though WWII has long captured the imagination of writers and filmmakers, WWI to date has received comparatively less attention. Most Americans, we suspect, aren’t aware of the magnitude and consequences of that war. With our Fall 2014 issue, we hope to give readers perspective on the WWI period. We invite article proposals on the following topics:
History/World View: Give readers a global sense of events leading up to the war—the “sides,” countries, and leaders involved; the devastating aspects of industrialized warfare and casualties that amounted to slaughter; the challenges to assemble and ready American troops; the effects of American military presence, pro and con; the missteps and miscalculations that resulted in unprecedented carnage and virtual stalemate; the negotiated, uneasy peace that ended the war; the unresolved issues that would lead to future conflicts. [Readers need this historical overview to frame the issue’s additional content. The scope of this piece is a challenge, so we’ll allow an article length of up to 3,000 words.]
Dissent and Propaganda: Inform readers of this period of American history when the right to free speech was squelched. Discuss the Espionage and Sedition Acts, the rise of local Councils of Defense, and national efforts to promote patriotism and support for the war. How does Oklahoma’s Green Corn Rebellion figure in anti-war protests? How was propaganda used to control the nation’s food supply?
Women and the War: What roles did women play during the war years? Discuss the effects of conscription on American families and how “the lost generation” of men affected women’s futures at home and in European nations. How did WWI affect women’s suffrage, career choices, and place in society?
Pop Culture: How did music, theater, film, and newspapers bolster troop morale and rally support for the war at home? Discuss how WWI influenced a generation of novelists, poets, musicians, and filmmakers. What were the cultural themes of postwar America?
The U.S. as Super Power: Discuss how the U.S. gained a position of strength among world nations in the WWI period. How did the war affect American capitalism and industrialization? How effective was Woodrow Wilson at negotiating peace? How did the U.S. interact with nations in the decades following the war? How does Wilson’s belief that the world “must be made safe for Democracy” resonate in American foreign policy today?
The War without End: Discuss the devastation of war and the postwar challenges of vets to cope with “shell shock,” nightmares, and memories of the carnage they witnessed. How did the U.S. government deal with the aftermath of WWI? How did it cope with the medically wounded; the transition of veterans from military to civilian life; the increasing demands of citizens for civil rights?
The broad questions above are posed to stimulate ideas, not to limit the scope of proposals. Above all, we seek material based in scholarship that is easily understood by and accessible to “general audience” readers.
About our publication: Print readership is approximately 10,500 statewide [donors, universities, public and prison libraries, cultural organizations, public schools, state and national legislators, etc.] with additional distribution via events, bookstores, etc. The publication is distributed free of charge as a part of our public programming.
Previous authors have included: Michael Sandel [What Money Can’t Buy]; Mickey Edwards [The Parties Versus The People]; Krista Tippet [host of NPR’s “On Being”]; Mark Slouka [Harper’s Magazine]; and Kim Stafford [100 Tricks Every Boy Can Do].
Click here for Author Guidelines on the style and tone of articles we publish. We’re looking for a feature article length of about 2000 words. Please send the following:
Short synopsis of your proposed article
Brief resume of your experience
Sample of your writing that reflects the tone and style of our magazine
Please respond by March 3rd. If we accept your proposal, the deadline for your text will be May 15th.
Feel free to contact me if you have questions. Thanks for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.
Contact:
Carla D. Walker – Editor, Oklahoma HUMANITIES Magazine
Director of Publications
Oklahoma Humanities Council
428 W. California Avenue, Ste. 270
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
405/235-0280 * Fax 405/235-0289
carla@okhumanities.org
About the Oklahoma Humanities Council
OHC is an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide meaningful public engagement with the humanities—disciplines such as history, literature, film studies, ethics, and philosophy. The humanities offer a deeper understanding of ourselves and others by confronting us with the questions, values, and meanings of the human experience. As the state partner for the National Endowment for the Humanities, OHC brings people together to explore these ideas through programming and community grants that support book groups, exhibits, film festivals, teacher institutes, and more. OHC engages people in their own communities, providing forums for education, critical thinking, and productive civil discourse.