Writer and editor Michael Engelhard sends this from Fairbanks, Alaska:
The anthology bug has bitten again; this time I’m looking for creative nonfiction submissions about encounters with Canada's and Alaska’s wildlife.
Thousands of tourists visit the North each year, drawn perhaps more by the possibility of seeing whales, eagles, or bears than by glaciers, gold mines, or Denali. Two of Jack London’s most successful books really were nothing but elaborate animal biographies. Animal stories nourish us, from big-bad-wolf fairytales to adult fare like Grizzly Man or Never Cry Wolf. Run-ins with wildlife—whether in urban or backcountry settings—rupture our daily routines. They delight or dismay but hardly ever leave us unmoved. Not unlike us and often within sight of our doorsteps (or tents), wild animals court, mate, give birth, raise their young, fight, play, build, forage, and die. Occasionally, denizens of the wilds cast subtle spells. They rarefy the moment, prompt lasting memories, reveal our true natures, or at best, transform us. We cherish these chance meetings and shape them into stories that remind us of our heritage, our connections, our responsibilities.
We encourage you to think and write outside the box. Alaska is home to more than whales, eagles, and bears—the iconic species——although there is room for a few good yarns about those animals as well. Anything can be game to be stalked with your pen: from trapped wolves to trespassing moose, from dive-bombing seagulls to swarming mosquitoes... While an animal’s natural history may inform your story, facts should relate directly to "plot." We welcome submissions in which the personal intersects with the political but are not looking for environmentalist sermons (and believe me, I’ve committed a few of those to paper myself). We are not looking for scholarly tracts or disembodied essays. We are looking for humor, pathos, the offbeat, bone-and-gristle, the smell of blood and the softness of fur.
I use first person plural deliberately here: several presses have expressed interest in this collection. To make it even more attractive to them, I am mostly after unpublished material. (The odd magazine piece might stand a chance.) If in doubt, you can always pitch me your idea in a nutshell. Deadline for submissions is January 1, 2008. The publishers are asking for samples; if you have a story polished and ready to go, feel free to send it to me. Those of you, who are too busy right now but serious about submitting later, please let me know. This is a high-caliber anthology, not a good testing ground for novices to the art.
E-mail Michael for more info at nedludinmoab@yahoo.com.
