Home is where the heart is. It’s where you hang your hat, and it’s where chickens come to roost. There’s no place like it, and you can’t go there again. It’s where a prophet is without honor, but when you have to go there, they have to take you in.
This fall we’ll be publishing a series of “Hometown Histories.” We are accepting pitches for essays that examine the author’s hometown through a historical lens. Maybe you’ve learned something about your hometown that sent you down a research rabbit hole. Maybe you see your hometown differently now that you’re a historian. Something that was once inexplicable makes total sense now, or you’ve had to reckon with something you once took for granted. You may have moved back to your hometown or adopted a new one. You could profile a local historical site or museum, or reveal something that’s been hiding in plain sight.
We are interested, of course, in traditional written essays, but we’re also interested in comics, collages, photo essays — any medium, really, so long as it’s rooted in primary and secondary sources. (We like citations!) We’re not scared of autobiography, but don’t feel like it has to be autobiographical either. We pay $150 for shorter pieces (500–800 words) and $300 for longer ones (1000–1500 words).
Pitches are due by Friday, August 16. You’ll hear back from us by Monday, August 19. Drafts will be due by Monday, September 30. The final pieces will be published throughout October and November.
To pitch, use the form at the bottom of our Pitch Us page, selecting “HOMETOWN” from the dropdown menu. In your pitch, please include a short bio and some of the sources you’ll use. As always, Contingent will prioritize pitches from people who have completed postgraduate work in history (or a history-adjacent field) and are working outside of tenure-track employment.