Culture

A pace-setter among literary publications, the new MAYDAY Culture vertical invites and cultivates authenticity, curiosity, and compassion with well-rounded criticism and courageous storytelling. With an emphasis on diverse or marginalized perspectives, especially Black writers and LGBTQ+ writers, Culture explores race, politics, gender, sexuality, and ability across literature, cinema, television, music, art, and theatre, with an emphasis on contemporary and historical contextualization. We appreciate arts criticism that amplifies unique perspectives and complicates our understandings—whether through personal or braided essays or media reviews—and we regard this type of writing as an art form in its own right.

The MAYDAY Culture section is looking for enthusiastic, incisive cultural commentary and critical analysis. With an emphasis on diverse or marginalized perspectives, Culture explores race, politics, gender, sexuality, and ability across literature, cinema, television, music, art, and theatre, in contemporary and historical contexts. We appreciate arts criticism that amplifies unique perspectives and complicates our understandings—whether through personal or braided essays or media reviews—and we regard this type of writing as an art form in its own right.

We’re seeking well-rounded, literary pieces that challenge us and our readers. There's no minimum length, but we prefer submissions of fewer than 6,000 words. Please send only one Culture submission at a time.

We accept pitches, too! Review our editors’ statements below, and feel free to pitch to us via email.

Carla is interested in pitches ranging across topics of representation, race and racism, life and death, American policing, democracy, Election 2020, and more, according to writers’ passions and prerogatives. 

Clement is interested in pitches for enthusiastic and incisive arts criticism and theory, especially focusing on film, television, and music.

Sarah is interested in critically analyzing literature and pop culture through the lenses of social justice and intersectional feminism, in particular analysis of pop culture fandom, science fiction, television, films, graphic novels, and comics culture.

Sophia is interested in articles about literary and cinematic trends, intersectional feminism + social justice, forgotten queer histories, internet discourse, anything rooted in archival research, and anything else, as long as it’s well-argued or funny, preferably both.