Deadline: 31 August 2011
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS - S3x Crim3s against Black Girls: The Anthology
Edited by: Shantrelle P. Lewis & Yaba A. Blay
About the Anthology:
Historically regarded as matters private to our community, those, that if put in plain sight, might inadvertently corroborate White supremacist imaginations of Black pathology, s3x crim3s against Black girls are the dirtiest of our laundry – nasty, gaping wounds too infected to heal on their own. Whether at levels macro, when children in war torn countries like Uganda, Liberia, and Sierra Leone are forced to take on roles as s3x slaves, or on the micro-level, when daughters and nieces are violated by their brothers, cousins, uncles and fathers, s3x crim3s against Black girls, no matter how secreted, occur every minute, of every day, around the globe.
We invite writers/scholars/artists/activists of African descent, both female and male, to submit creative works. We seek works that not only lend insight into the variety of dimensions for which s3x crim3s against Black girls have implications (personal, political, social, emotional…), but further challenge prospective viewers/readers to confront their own secrets, violations, painful experiences, fears, and shame. Although we are especially interested in those works that are painfully and unapologetically truthful and revealing, we are also seeking contributions that have a positive and/or hopeful tone with concrete examples of resistance and recovery. In this way, S3x Crim3s against Black Girls will both acknowledge painful realities and also strategies for self-, family-, and community-care, love and restoration. And while the book will indeed position the Black female voice as primary and authoritative, in also welcoming the Black male voice, it will present a multiplicity of realities – all valid, and all reflectively necessary for us to propel ourselves into a space of healing, growth, and empowerment – the ultimate goal of this project.
Submissions:
As currently conceptualized, the anthology will consist of a variety of sections, each prefaced by artwork. Each section will then include those contributions relevant to the issues/themes explored by the featured artwork. Additionally, we are seeking first-person essays, both reflective and critical, from male writers.
Guidelines:
We welcome a variety of creative formats, including critical essays, personal memoirs, short fiction, and poetry.
* critical essays, personal memoirs, short fiction: 20-25 pages, inclusive of notes/references/images
* review essays (book/film): 10 -15 pages, inclusive of notes/references/images
* poetry– no more than 3 pages per poem and 3 poems per artist
Please submit abstracts/proposals (300-500 words), along with a brief biographical sketch (75 words or less) no later than May 16, 2011 to the editors at blackgirlvoice@gmail.com and include the word “submission” in the subject line. Include your abstract/proposal and bio in the body of your email as well as a Microsoft Word attachment. Submissions selected for inclusion in the final volume will be due on or before August 31, 2011. All work submitted must be original and should not have been published or under consideration elsewhere.
Please send all inquiries to the editors via email at blackgirlvoice@gmail.com with “inquiry” in the subject line.