Today I want to let you all know about a fantastic book project — Letters to a New Vegan. This call for submission has been making the rounds, but there is still time to submit a letter for consideration. Melissa Tedrowe, of the lovely blog Mending Creation is heading up this project. Read on for details and I hope you will consider submitting something to this project.
Letters to a New Vegan
Call for Submissions
Deadline: November 15, 2013
Send submissions to veganletters@gmail.com
At the turn of the nineteenth century, a 19-year-old military student wrote a letter to a famous author seeking advice on how to live. “Nobody can advise you, nobody,” Rainer Maria Rilke replied. “There is only one way. Go into yourself.” Having said that, however, Rilke would go on to offer ample advice to the young man, writing him no fewer than ten letters in which he shared his thoughts on thriving in a complex, insensitive world. These letters would become the small but widely-treasured volume Letters to a Young Poet (1929).
Rilke’s bipartite response to his young poet exemplifies the human paradox: we need to go deeply into ourselves and we need each other. Those of us living on the edge of a ground-breaking social movement especially need each other. We need each other’s encouragement and insights; we need to hear how others have made their way—detours, stumbles, and all. Combining the stories of others with our own experience and inner wisdom, we cultivate the sustenance for lives that matter to ourselves and to the wider world.
With that, you are invited to submit your own story to an edited collection called Letters to a New Vegan. The intention of this volume is just as its allusory title suggests: we are looking to create a community of words that can encircle new vegans everywhere, from all walks of life, as they embark on their own journeys. Letters should be no longer than 1000 words (short letters are as welcome as long ones), begin with the salutation “Dear New Vegan,” and end with your name (first or full, your choice) and place of residence. Between the salutation and closing we ask that you write in your own voice, with authenticity, honesty, and compassion.
A possible place to begin as you contemplate your letter: What would you have wanted to hear when you were a new vegan? What would have helped?
Submission guidelines: Please email your letter (Word documents preferred) along with a short author bio to veganletters@gmail.com by November 15, 2013. Questions can be directed to this address as well.
A final, important note: we’re eager for letters from people of all ages, backgrounds, and perspectives. The vegan story is nothing if not multi-vocal. Thank you for helping us distribute this call widely.
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