HISTORY OF NOW

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

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History of Now is a monthly online journal founded in 2026 by MIT History faculty to challenge distorted uses of history. We connect contemporary issues to their deeper historical roots and invite contributors to show how the past continues to shape the present.

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What We’re Looking For
We invite submissions from historians who bring scholarly expertise into conversation with current events and public debates. Contributions may be written or visual and should fall into one of the following categories:

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1. Linking the Present to the Past
Essays that examine how history is invoked, debated, misused, or ignored in contemporary discourse, including:

•    Historically grounded analyses of current news, political debates, cultural trends, or public controversies
•    Contextual essays on objects, phrases, or phenomena circulating in media
•    Reflections on history’s role in public argument, memory, and identity

2. Historiographical Essays

•    Accessible essays for a broad readership that illuminate how historical interpretation has evolved, such as:
•    Clear syntheses of major historiographical debates
•    Profiles of influential or underrecognized historians
•    Narratives that demystify historical research practices in earlier periods

3. Reconsiderations of Significant Works

•    Essays that revisit scholarly or popular works shaping historical understanding or public memory, including:
•    Reflections on foundational or personally influential texts
•    Analyses of the afterlives and impacts of major works
•    Critiques of how popular culture has reframed or distorted historical narratives

Topics
We are especially interested in work engaging themes such as climate change, income inequality, populism, labor and work, immigration, collective action, and related issues.

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Length and Style
Most pieces run 1,000–1,500 words, though length should suit the argument. We seek writing that is analytically rigorous, narratively compelling, and accessible to informed non-specialist readers.

Who Should Submit
We welcome submissions from professional historians, independent scholars, public historians, and scholars in adjacent fields whose work engages deeply with historical method. Contributors should have substantial subject expertise and a commitment to public-facing historical writing.

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How to Submit
Please email submissions to kmutongi@mit.edu. We aim to respond within 2–3 weeks.