Dear Republic,
It’s Back To School Week at The Republic of Letters — but also, I think Madness Week and also Timothy Atkinson Week. We’re slightly losing track. Anyway. Sharpen your pencils! We’re announcing the following contests:
1.Tell us a secret. Write an essay about something that you’ve told no one — or, whatever, something that you maybe told somebody once but that is difficult to share in public. Anonymity perfectly acceptable. It should be your secret, btw, not someone else’s. Submissions due September 21 with “Secret” in the subject line.
2.Write a letter to someone in public life. We figured we should do Republic of Letters-y things every so often. Picture Voltaire writing letters to the monarchs of Europe giving them advice. And be aware that — as with Voltaire — the winning letters will be answered. Submissions due October 5 with “Letter” in the subject line.
3.I sense a certain bewilderment in The Republic over the launch of The Punters’ Page. Roll with it! It should be fun. We are accepting submissions advocating for/against Ocean Vuong and Percival Everett. Submissions due September 14 with “Agitation: Vuong” or “Agitation: Everett” in the subject line. Accepted pieces for this receive $25.
4.We are also launching The Wishlist. These are pieces that ROL is interested in at any time, either because they pair nicely with something ROL already has in hand or because ROL is interested in the subject:
A piece arguing that we live in Jung’s world (as opposed to Freud’s)
A piece arguing that the more money you have the worse a person you are
Honest accounts of their experiences by people who’ve been sex workers
Honest accounts of their experiences by people who’ve been incarcerated
Honest accounts by people describing what they love about their line of work
All submissions should be sent to republic.of.letters.substack@gmail.com
1200-1500 is a good target for word count.
We’re slightly tightening up our contest rules. We’ll do it Homecoming Court style. Winning piece gets $50, second place $40, third place $30. Any other pieces submitted for a given contest that we run but that don’t make the top three receives $20.
The Republic of Letters is also always open to anything you want to pitch or submit.
Also:
Our newly-formed Department of Self-Glorification has launched The Wall. This is like a guest book of nice things people have had to say about The Republic of Letters.
And, as a reminder, The Depot is active. If you have a manuscript you wish to have reviewed, write to the Republic’s email with “Manuscript” in the subject line. If you wish to review someone else’s manuscript, write with “Reviewer” in the subject line.
-ROL
Won't argue that the more money you have the worse you are because I know personally some wealthy people with a long list of Jewish community causes to which they have been impossibly generous. Billionaire level may be different.