Submission Guidelines

Who Should Submit?

The Collective for Radical Death Studies (CRDS) welcomes blog submissions based on a broad range of time and place from individuals who study a) death and dying, b) funeral and burial, c) grave sites and last resting places. Scholars within the interdisciplinary field of death studies, death work practitioners, and all who self-identify as students of cultural deathways are especially asked to submit. Whether through hands-on practice or through study, persons from around the world who have specialized knowledge, expertise, and unique ways of knowing in these areas are highly encouraged to submit.

What Should You Submit?

Blog submissions should explore the multiplicity of death from an international lens that is then engaged in illustrating differences/sameness among nations, regions, and localities. In practice, this means that although, blogs that center on U.S., American and Western death practices are absolutely welcomed, CRDS definitely encourages the submission of blogs that write about cultural death practices in countries where there is no hyperfocus on U.S. death practices. We, then, wish to have blog submissions that explore the death ideology and death work of non-US and non-Western nations sharing the importance and relevance of death norms within the country’s cultural context. 

Blog submissions should interrogate death at the varying intersections of human identity that include but are not limited to race, class, religion, gender, sexuality.  On the macro level, this may mean interrogating at the intersection of colonialism, migration, kinship patterns, allocation of resources.  Taking a critical look at how death has been impacted, shaped and used to construct hierarchies and enforce unequal power dynamics between humans across time and space is key here. Questions such as the following should be asked and answered: how has race construction, racism and individual racial identity impacted death, dying and disposal?  In what ways has migratory human patterns erased or cemented death practices?  How has colonialism and culture worked to exert power, erase, and homogenize death practices and norms?  How has war, government-sanctioned violence and abuse shaped death and dying?  In ways do homophobia impede public mourning for the LGBTQIA community?  How does heteronormativity and socially constructed gender roles impact mourning and last rites rituals?

Blog submissions may also engage with pedagogical practices and theories by exploring successes and failures. Decolonizing canonical texts is part and parcel of the mission of CRDS; therefore, blogs that seek to address decolonizing the cannon of Death Studies are welcome and encouraged.  This can come in the form of reviews and critiques of canonical texts or even arguments for the inclusion of unknown and marginalized texts and readings. We are also looking for blogs that seek to share assignments and innovative pedagogical ideas that help to further radicalize death studies and practices. 

Blog submissions can also be book reviews. Blogs can seek to review and get critical insight on television series, movies, documentaries, websites, social media. Just remember that these reviews and critiques must seek to de-center whiteness and call for inclusive death practices that center squarely on communities of color and marginalized communities.  Reviews and critiques should not just be about author’s likes/dislikes.

Above all, blog submissions must interrogate, explore or contribute to radicalizing/decolonizing death studies. By radical we mean inclusive.  By decolonize we mean to de-center whiteness.

How Should You Write It?

All blog submissions must be between 500 and 1500 words, with 2000 words as the absolute max. Submissions should be submitted as Word documents to info@radicaldeathstudies.com. Submissions must be 12 inch font, Times New Roman.  All quotes must be footnoted with proper citation, but please keep quotes and footnotes to a minimum.  It is preferred that references to others’ work are hyperlinked instead.  All submitted works must include hyperlinks and at least least two pictures.  All pictures submitted must have permission to reprint.  Included with the blog submission should be 1) a copy of the author’s CV and 2) a 150 word biography.

What Happens After You Submit?

CRDS accepts blog submissions on a rolling basis.  The submission will be reviewed by the Editing Team.  Please note that the CRDS Editing Team cannot respond to every submission.  We will only respond to those submissions accepted for publication.

Thank you for taking the time to submit your work!