Call for Magazine Articles (for a general readership) About Love and Romance

Call for Articles – Oklahoma Humanities Magazine

The Oklahoma Humanities Council is the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. This call for article proposals is for the Winter/January 2015 issue of our magazine, which will feature the topic of “love and romance.” 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]

BE MY VALENTINE

Romantic love is a central theme in our human story. The practices and traditions of courtship are rooted in history and culture—with outcomes that are often funny, sometimes tragic, but always hopeful for a “happy ever after.” In this issue, we’ll explore aspects of the search for passion and intimacy. This is your opportunity to step outside academe and share your knowledge with the public at large [you can skip the bibliography and notes!]. We offer the following prompts to stimulate your thinking, and we welcome other ideas.

•      Gifts/Gestures/Traditions of Love:

Love Songs – Love Letters – Flowers – Food – Chocolate – Perfume – Jewelry – Valentines

•      Poetry and Literature:

Poets and Love Poems – History of the Romance Novel and its Place in Popular Culture – Romantic Themes in Young Adult Fiction – The Personal Romances [or lack thereof] of Romance Authors

•      Star-crossed Lovers/Classic Couples:

Adam & Eve

Mark Antony & Cleopatra

Tristan & Isolde

Eloise & Abelard

Romeo & Juliet

Jane Eyre & Rochester

Elizabeth & Darcy

Scarlett & Rhett

      Bonnie & Clyde

      Clark Kent & Lois Lane

      Ricky & Lucy, I Love Lucy

      Ross & Rachel, Friends

•      Love at the Movies: Romantic movies as genre [content] and as courtship [date night].

•      Dating in the 21^st Century: Has social media and the Internet changed courtship? What are the problems—and freedoms—of dating in the information age?

•      History and World Cultures: What does history and anthropology reveal about the role of romance in human experience? What are the gifts, rites, and romantic traditions of cultures around the world?

•      And don’t forget the male perspective! Maybe John Wayne as romantic hero? Or male authors/filmmakers behind romantic stories?

About our publication: Print readership is approximately 11,500 statewide [donors, universities, public schools, public and prison libraries, cultural organizations, 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: Anita Hill [Reimagining Equality]; Naomi Benaron [Running the Rift]; 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 2000-2250 words. Please respond June 4^th. If we accept your proposal, the deadline for your text will be Sept. 15^th. Please send the following:

·        Short synopsis of your proposed article

·        Brief resume of your experience

·        Samples of your writing that reflect the tone and style of our magazine

Feel free to contact me if you have questions. I look forward to hearing from you. ~ Carla Walker, Editor

Carla D. Walker
Editor, Oklahoma HUMANITIES Magazine
Director of Publications
Oklahoma Humanities Council
428 W. California, Ste. 270
Oklahoma City, OK  73102
(405) 235-0280 | Fax (405) 235-0289
carla@okhumanities.org