Seeking submissions for a Critical Insights volume on Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 under contract with Salem/Grey House Publishers. Known as being a satirical, anti-war novel that initiated the eponymous phrase regarding paradoxical situations, Catch-22 was originally published in 1961. Catch-22 is appreciated for its dark humor, use of flashbacks, contorted chronology, countercultural sensibilities, and bizarre language structures. With current trends and political climate considered, we will revisit this classic text for a contemporary audience.

Submissions should be representative of current critical discourse about Heller and/or Catch-22 and conceptually within reach of current students at the secondary and undergraduate level. All essays should strive to provide instructional value to secondary and college students, and be written conforming to all Modern Language Association (MLA) eighth edition style requirements.

Submissions must fall into one of the following categories:

• CRITICAL LENS essays offer a close reading of the author or work from a particular critical standpoint, such as, for example, postmodernism, new historicism, gender studies, narratology, or new criticism.
• COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS essays analyze the work in the light of another work/author though comparing or contrasting.
• CRITICAL READING essays focus on contemporary readings of the text with emphasis on ways current readers (i.e. students in secondary and university settings) might be able to appreciate or problematize the text with new eyes and current cultural/literary theories.
• On Catch-22: the creation of the text.
• BIOGRAPHY of Joseph Heller.

By January 20, please submit a 250-300-word abstract, a 75-word biographical statement (including your affiliation), and contact information to the editor:

Dr. Laura Nicosia: lauranicosia@gmail.com

First drafts of approximately 5000 words (inclusive of Works Cited) need to be completed before May 1 with final submissions due June 15, 2021 (for inclusion in the volume). Honoraria will be awarded to writers by the publisher after publication.