Articles

This section aims to publish high quality, field-shaping work on any aspect of American literature and culture since the mid-twentieth century. The publication format allows for embedded film clips, audio, images, and other digital objects.

We are especially interested in projects that change our understanding of the field of post-World War II literature and culture, either by drawing attention to understudied subjects or by foregrounding new questions or methods. We emphasize historical and interdisciplinary approaches, and in most cases, we will not prioritize articles on single authors or works if the author is already a subject of extensive scholarship.

The editorial process for this space meets the professional standard for peer review; publications in this section can be listed on a CV as peer reviewed for the purposes of tenure and promotion. We will list our essays with the MLA Bibliography, where they will appear in standard searches. But unlike articles carried by expensive subscription databases such as Project Muse, essays here will be freely available around the world.

In return for your best work, we offer our best effort to make a decision about your submission at a speed that will be considerably faster than traditional print journals. Because of our commitment to getting decisions out quickly, we may not be able to provide editorial comments on all submitted manuscripts. Be assured, however, that our exceptional board of readers will give all submissions the serious attention they deserve.

Special Issue Proposals

Post45 welcomes proposals for special issues that advance the study of post-World War II American literature and culture — broadly conceived — through innovative methods and questions, or research on understudied subjects.

Before submitting a full proposal, prospective special issue editors should contact the co-editors at submissions@post45.org with a preliminary query. These inquiries should be as detailed and robust as possible so the editors can assess the special issue’s potential fit for the journal and offer feedback, but need not include full article abstracts nor a complete list of contributors.

Once the prospective editors have received feedback and a positive response from the journal’s co-editors, they can begin to put together a full proposal. We strongly prefer proposals with contributions drawn from a diverse range of scholars — especially but not exclusively proposals that have solicited authors from outside the editors’ immediate professional networks.

Special issue proposals should include:

• A title
• Name(s) and short bio(s) of the editor(s)
• A description of the special issue topic, with particular attention to the issue’s larger interventions in post-war American literary and cultural studies — and why Post45 is an ideal venue for those interventions (around 400-800 words)
• Article abstracts (around 300 words each), with contributors’ names
• A brief explanation of how the editor(s) solicited and selected contributions (2-3 sentences)
• (Optional) names of potential peer reviewers

If Post45’s co-editors approve a special issue proposal, the editorial team will work with the guest editor(s) to plan a process and timeline for peer review and publication. Guest editors are expected to write an introduction, and may also submit an article for inclusion in the issue, subject to the same anonymous peer-review process as other submissions.

Mary Esteve Emerging Scholar Essay Prize

Submissions for 2024 Post45 Prizes are now closed. The information below is strictly for informational purposes.

Eligibility: Current graduate students and pre-tenure scholars no more than 5 years out from Ph.D. graduation (including those who currently hold a tenure-track position).

Since some scholars may be eligible for both awards, we ask that you specify in a cover letter and on the first/title page of your essay which prize you are submitting for and, in 1-2 sentences, describe your current position. (If you are not sure about your eligibility, feel free to email submissions@post45.org to inquire.)

Post45 Essay Prize for Contingent Scholars

Submissions for 2024 Post45 Prizes are now closed. The information below is strictly for informational purposes.

Eligibility: any scholar who has a Ph.D. in hand but does not currently hold a tenure-track position. Current graduate students are not eligible for this prize; independent scholars, postdocs, VAPs, and others who hold non-tenured positions are eligible.

Since some scholars may be eligible for both awards, we ask that you specify in a cover letter and on the first/title page of your essay which prize you are submitting for and, in 1-2 sentences, describe your current position. (If you are not sure about your eligibility, feel free to email submissions@post45.org to inquire.)