The MAYDAY Culture section is looking for enthusiastic, incisive cultural commentary and critical analysis. With an emphasis on diverse or marginalized perspectives, Culture explores politics, race, gender, sexuality, and ability across literature, cinema, television, music, art, and theatre, in contemporary and historical contexts. We also appreciate arts criticism that amplifies unique perspectives and complicates our understandings, 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. Please avoid academic style and tone. There's no minimum length, but we prefer submissions with 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 Bell directs MAYDAY:Black, an initiative committed to delivering a new experience for Black writers, including those seeking first-time publication. Carla is interested in pitches on topics of representation, race and racism, life and death, American policing, Black civil rights and American government, and more, according to writers’ passions and prerogatives. MAYDAY:Black does not accept poetry. To submit work to Carla, please click the MAYDAY:Black box when submitting to Culture.

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

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

Lisa Ströhm Winberg is interested in pitches that center around visual art, semiotics in design, and fashion as an art form. Lisa is especially interested in pitches about fashion theories and visual analysis of photography.