Diacritics is concerned with the problems of criticism. The journal has no formal policy governing the choice of books to be reviewed or critical perspectives to be explored, and welcomes suggestions and contributions from all quarters. This pluralistic policy does not imply advocacy of critical eclecticism: diacritical discussion entails distinguishing the methodological and ideological issues that critics encounter and setting forth a critical position in relation to them. Review articles should be conceived as fully developed essays in which the critical reviewing and the presentation of the author’s own insights are integrated by a unifying thesis or perspective. Prospective contributors are strongly urged to choose the review article mode and to take into account the journal’s aim to reach a wide audience interested in the general problems of criticism. We especially welcome review articles that consider very recent books not yet published in English.
Diacritics also publishes articles in other categories:
- Texts/Contexts:
- Essays dealing with major theoretical problems or illustrating adventurous approaches to the interpretation of texts.
- Response:
- Rejoinders to articles previously published in Diacritics or in other journals.
- Interview
- Exchanges with well-known critics or, occasionally, with artists that may be either edited transcripts of recorded conversations or dialogues conducted in writing.
Texts submitted to Diacritics are reviewed as blind submissions. Solicited articles are subject to the same evaluative procedures and are judged on the same standards as unsolicited material.
Guidelines:
- Submissions should be prepared following The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition. Please include a brief abstract.
- Articles are typically between 9,000 and 11,000 words in length.
- List notes at the end of the manuscript. Citations in notes should include author’s last name, short-form title, and page number. Place complete publication information in a list of works cited.
- Quote material from foreign sources in English translation, from published translations whenever available. When quoting a work that has not been translated, provide your own translation. If the context requires it, foreign terms or phrases may be included in parentheses after the original.
- Please send submissions as a .doc or .PDF file in an email attachment to diacritics@cornell.edu. Include your mailing address and institutional affiliation in an email but remove any self-identifying references from the text and abstract.