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Psst, have you heard? We’re making a gossip issue.
For our January/February issue, Anthropology News is indulging in some loose talk and tittle-tattle. Whether you have an evolutionary story about social grooming, an ethnographic account of workplace gossip, or a linguistic tale of performative talk, we want to hear it. What can anthropology tell us about this informal talk—malicious, truthful, and otherwise? Why do humans gossip? Are we the way we talk? From celebrity culture to the enactment of politics, we invite you to tell us all.
We are open to creative proposals that approach gossip from an engaging anthropological perspective in the form of feature articles or visual essays.
Please send a 250-word pitch that outlines the story or argument of your piece, and a 50-word author bio to [email protected] by September 20, 2019. If proposing a photo or illustrated essay, include one or two images.
First drafts will be due by October 31 and will go through a developmental edit with the AN editor. Full articles are 1,600–2,000 words. Photo essays comprise 6–8 high resolution images and a 600-word introductory essay. Final articles will publish in the January/February print magazine and on the AN website.