New anthology will be published to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the release of This Bridge Called My Back.
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the release of This Bridge Called My Back, a new anthology, A Love Letter to “This Bridge Called My Back,” is now in progress with a projected publication date in 2021. This edited volume promises to continue the transformative work of Gloria Anzaldúa and Cherie Moraga’s original book using the contemporary context as an adjusted lens. The new compilation is expected to spark much interest from scholars, artists, educators, and activists in and across a range of fields.
Original Book Overview
In 1979, Gloria Anzaldúa and Cherie Moraga shared a vision for “revolutionary solidarity” for and among women of color. Their assessment of the conditions of their lived experiences and the experiences of other women of color, as well as their youthful optimism, propelled them forward to begin what would be considered a radical project to advance what they referred to as “Third World Feminism.”
Out of this vision and shared desire to coalesce, center, and catalyze solidarities of sisterhood grounded in the intersectional identities and perspectives of women of color, Anzaldúa and Moraga conceived a literary gem, This Bridge Called My Back (Anzaldúa & Moraga, 1981). The writings of the original Bridge authors range from full-throated and unflinching to lyrical and heartfelt testimonies of the lived experiences of Third World women of color at a particular time and place.
New Anthology
Bringing together arts- and text-based declarations or “aesthetic pronouncements” from individuals who have been moved by the foundational work of the Third World women of color (WoC) writers of This Bridge Called My Back, editors Gloria J. Wilson, Joni Boyd Acuff and Amelia (Amy) Kraehe will honor the 40th anniversary of Anzaldúa and Moraga’s book by publishing A Love Letter to This Bridge Called My Back in 2021.
For this collection, the editors are interested in short essays, poems, visual artworks, first person letters, narratives, etc. by women and femme of color living at the margins and intersections of (difference) race, gender, sexuality, class, religion, ethnicity, language, and ability. Further, to honor the legacy of the original Bridge writers, the editors are seeking non-academic and academic authors who challenge and expand the existing boundaries of traditional academic discourse and who embrace writing that is accessible to the broadest possible audience.
Contributions to this volume represent an on-going commitment to the foundational work laid by Anzaldúa and Moraga by illuminating, questioning, and responding to past, present, and future 1) political currents, 2) progressive struggles, 3) healings, transformations, and acts of resistance, and 4) solidarity toward gender and sexual justice. Although brief, these Love Letter aesthetic pronouncements advance the on-going and ever-shifting conversations brought about by and with a new generation of WoC working toward what it means to be Third World Feminist-conscious.
Chapter Guidelines
The chapters in this volume will be comprised of writings (short essays, poems, first person letters, narratives) of no more than 1,500 words and visual artwork (digital images), which may include 2-D and 3-D works.
The writings and/or artwork should center the lived and embodied experiences of women of color and may be inspired by or respond to:
- Historical and contemporary “truths” of WoC
- WoC embodied knowledges or “theories in the flesh” (Anzaldúa & Moraga, 1981)
- Moments of resisting, transforming, and creating discourse through WoC gender- and race-conscious work
- On-going dehumanizing political climates that maintain racialized/gendered oppressive systems of power
- WoC realities of continued lack of inclusion within current transnational feminist movements
- Class divisions, inequality, homophobia, populism, nativism, imperialism
- Narratives that share the varying social, cultural, and spiritual languages
- Womanist, postcolonial, critical race, indigenous, third space, queer, and trans-, futurist, and spiritual-body perspectives
- Other themes related to Third World WoC feminist experiences, visions, practices
While submissions should be informed by a range of these themes, proposals should be written in an accessible manner, as this text is aimed at a broad readership that ranges from academics to community activists, artists to engineers, mail carriers to stay at home mothers and any and everyone in-between. The goal is to develop a “text” that people from varied backgrounds may find connections to and peace in.
If you are interested in contributing to A Love Letter to This Bridge Called My Back, please submit a brief proposal by August 15, 2019 following the format and procedures below.
Proposal Submission Format
For authors proposing written work: a 300-word abstract, a list of 3 other texts that inspire you, and a chapter title. Please include contributor name(s), a 200-word bio that includes a statement on positionality, and contact information (email, mailing address, and phone number).
For artists proposing artwork: a 300-word (artist’s) statement to include the contributor’s intended artistic approach to the theme, at least 3 sources of inspiration (i.e. artists/texts whose works reflect themes of this call), a link to a personal/professional webpage (if applicable), and a selection of five images of your work with standard caption details (completed within the last 5-7 years; not necessarily in the same medium). Send high resolution images of each work to enable the editors to form as accurate an idea of the contributor’s practice. Please include: contributor’s name, 200-word author bio that includes a statement on positionality, and contact information (email, mailing address, and phone number).
Submission Procedures
Submit proposals as .doc or .docx email attachments to LoveLetters2021@gmail.com.
Timeline
Proposal Submission Due: August 15, 2019
Review Results Sent to Authors: September 30, 2019
Chapters Due: January 15, 2020
Requests for Revisions Sent to Authors: March 13, 2020
Final Chapters Due: April 13, 2020
Contact LoveLetters2021@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.
