Close/Read invites submissions for its inaugural issue.
Conceived as a forum for critical thought, the journal seeks to publish scholarship that interrogates the relations between texts, media, and theoretical frameworks. We welcome essays that question established interpretive practices, engage with the complexities of language, form, and representation, and situate close readings within broader cultural contexts. Broadly, the journal seeks intellectually ambitious projects that reconceptualize the methods and stakes of theoretical inquiry.
Essays should be 5–15 pages in length, double-spaced, and formatted according to the Chicago Manual of Style. Submissions are open to undergraduate students from all institutions and must be received by January 12, 2026.