cfp.english.upenn.edu

PopMatters seeks essays (1,200 to 3,000 words, usually) about any aspect of popular culture, present or past.
(If you are interested in pitching a review of some specific current
work or performance, please contact the appropriate reviews editor.)

We
prefer careful analysis of the chosen subject matter with the intention
of supporting an original thesis; we aren’t particularly interested in
articles that merely want to promote their subject. An assessment of
what ideological work a given pop culture phenomenon performs (i.e.
what has allowed something to become popular, what’s at stake in its
popularity besides money, how it is situated in a historical or
geographical context, etc.) is especially welcome.

Ideally essays will draw on sophisticated interpretive strategies derived from a
theoretically informed point of view but will be presented for a
general reader in lively, accessible language.

For examples of the diversity of topics and range of approaches we welcome, please have a look at PopMatters features and columns archives.

Please e-mail pitches (100-250 words, including your subject,
your prospective source material and the gist of your approach to it)
you’d like us to consider along with a brief description of your
writing background (with links to clips or published samples if
possible) to our Features Editors at features@popmatters.com.