A New Submission

As I have mentioned in previous posts, my writing efforts fall into two very different camps: one of writing speculative fiction novels and one of academic writing. I recently submitted an article “Contagion and Apocalypse as Metaphor for Economic/Social Turmoil: The Destruction of the Privileged Nobility in Poe and Brooks” to an academic journal.

I examine the collapse of the upper-class in both writings as a result of some of the characters’ insular and classist attitudes. Poe and Brooks construct a metaphor for the economic distress of their respective eras and then employ a covert and overt critique of the ruling elites’ downfalls. In both works, the hyper-privileged attempt to create a fortress of immunity from the plagues destroying their societies; in doing so, they establish the reasons for their collapse and hasten their destruction.  Poe’s and Brooks’ writings serve as a class-based examination of the inherent illness in isolated, removed, and cynical upper-classes.

This submission represents the third incarnation of this piece. It began several years ago as a paper for a graduate seminar. While reasonably good, it needed a great deal—a massive amount—of revision and rewriting. I spent a fair amount of time working on a new draft, and then I submitted it to an academic journal. After a few months, I received a rejection, along with very useful critical advice. I then redrafted the paper, into what I hope is a tighter and more fully developed piece.

I then identified a new journal for submission, learned the authors’ guidelines, formatted it correctly and then submitted it. Now, with this piece I must simply wait either for acceptance or rejection. If it is accepted, I celebrate. If it is rejected, I do more revisions, find another journal, and continue the process.

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