Nonfiction
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We are looking for high-quality nonfiction writing that connects exciting ideas, tells a compelling story, and offers a fresh perspective. Whether it's memoir, a critical essay, a review, or a piece on the craft of writing, we look for personal work that teaches us something new and sends us in a new direction.
We favor two kinds of submissions: short, focused essays between 600 and 1500 words, and longer, more reported features of up to 7,500 words. Please send only one selection at a time.
The following are specific categories for Pangyrus. If you submit in one of these categories, please use the dropdown menu to let us know which:
Zest! (Food Writing)
We want writing that’s not only in good taste, we want writing that tastes good. Wow us with memories of that perfect dish — or the perfect disaster. Tell the story of a region, a history, a family, a love, a war, through meals shared and soufflés ruined.
In Sickness and In Health (Health)
Give us perspective on the way we live now, drawing on anything from personal narrative to reporting to the science (and art) of public health. Be political, be personal, be whatever you need to be to stay authentic to your lived experiences and observations. This is a time we need shared voices.
Field Notes (Science and Environment)
We’re looking for innovative perspectives from researchers, professors, engineers, clinicians, and onlookers who can shine a light on science in the modern world. Our goal is to bring your voice and recent findings from the bench to our readers’ living rooms. Give us an unexpected and expansive view into the forces and faces shaping the world we live in now — and into the resistance to them. At the moment, we are especially interested in women in science, environment and ecology, and in science affected by today’s political climate.
Schooled (Education)
We’re looking for stories and perspectives from all levels of education, personal stories from teachers, students, and parents. Take us deeper into theory, practice and policy. Tell us about life in and out of the classroom and on (and off) campus in the pandemic, about transformative moments, and about the state of democracy as reflected in our schools.
The Sounding Board (Politics)
We're looking for essays that probe the politics of the moment or the politics of the past. National or international, local or worldwide — give us your take on why these issues matter, what forces shape and define this problem, and where we go from here.
Generations (Family)
Whether it's our birth family, our given family, our chosen family, family is the heart and often heartache in our lives. We want to read about these most significant connections and the tangled emotions that go along with them. Word limit: 7,500.