Yesterday I had an e-mail from Linda Pershing, and though her article on Carlos Arredondo and his memorial to his son was published in Journal of American Folklore almost two years ago, I remembered the facts of the story central to her research so clearly.

Carlos Arredondo’s son, Alex, was a Marine who was killed while serving in Iraq in 2004. His father’s grief was immense, immediate, and shocking; his reaction made national headlines. Carlos found an outlet in creating a portable memorial to his son and in protesting the war.

Linda Pershing’s message yesterday brought news of Alex’s younger brother’s death this week. Brian Arredondo committed suicide. Peace activist Cindy Sheehan issued a statement with more information.

I’m grateful for Linda’s work, which brought this family’s sad but not uncommon plight to my attention. May peace be with them.

Linda Pershing’s article about Carlos Arredondo and his mobile memorial appeared in Journal of American Folklore vol. 123, no. 488 (Spring 2010) and is available in Project Muse and JSTOR. Carlos Arredondo has been profiled by various media, including New York Times, CNN, and Democracy Now!.

Sure, starting afresh with incoming editors means a little more work and getting to know new people, which can be refreshing.  Best of all, it’s exciting to see the changes, big and small, new editors bring to a journal.

Jim Leary and Tom DuBois, the new editors for Journal of American Folklore, have an editorial in their first issue (schedule to hit mailboxes and Project Muse around January 17), which discusses their aims for the journal during their editorship.  Leary and DuBois note, “inspired by Finley Peter Dunne’s dictum that a good newspaper should ‘comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable,’ we hope to foster journal issues that spark interest, discovery, argument, reflection, the improbable submission of just the right number and variety of publishable manuscripts, and above all, a sense that JAF communicates with and for the full range of folklorists active in the twenty-first century.”

Lofty goals?  Well, as we near the publication of their first issue, it’s clear that they and their editorial team are highly motivated, and I think they’ve already hit their mark.  In addition to the scholarly case studies and analyses of folklore topics and the film, exhibit, sound, and book reviews you’ve come to expect, you’ll also find a creative writing offering, a personal account of the relationship between a researcher and research subjects in long-term folklore work, and a new review section for websites.

Congratulations to all involved.

What a wonderful alternative to supporting the whole American Girl book/doll/accessory/store enterprise.  If the book is as true to Hurston’s childhood as the article suggests, it’s a wonderful way to ensure that Zora Neale Hurston and her work will be as beloved by future generations as they are by my own.  Though the authors have the ultimate stamp of approval from the Hurston Trust and the recommendation of respected review publications, I hereby announce that I think it’s a fantastic idea, too.

Anyone interested in copyright issues in the classroom and in scholarly publishing would be wise to tune in to WILL-AM for Bob McChesney‘s “Media Matters” show this coming Sunday, August 1, at 1 p.m. CST, when Lawrence Lessig will be his guest.  Lessig always has interesting things to say about copyright laws and how they can impede creativity and scholarship.

You can also subscribe to the show’s podcast via the WILL site, catch it streaming live online, and follow the show via Facebook for more information.

Bob McChesney is a co-editor of the Press’s History of Communication series and author of Rich Media, Poor Democracy.

First, I got a lot of dissertation chapters that weren’t remade into articles. Almost all of them even cited something in “the next chapter” in their endnotes. I always sent those submissions back. Tip: Never let readers think they are an afterthought to a college degree.

Second, many a submission was not an article but a long review or program note. It might focus on a single book the author had read and admired. Or it might give a blow-by-blow commentary on a piece whose recording the author recently purchased and played over and over. Now, reviews are great; we need and publish them. But stretching one out does not make an article. Tip: Start with an argument and make your case with evidence, deftly handled.

Third, many manuscripts read like term papers. You know the routine: tell the reader what you’re going to say, say it, then conclude by saying what you just said. This is, literally, bad form. It might work for a paper you read aloud at a conference. But it’s toxic in print. Tip: Take the reader on a rail journey, a one-way train trip that has a departure, a steady but scenic ride, and a clear arrival at a refreshing destination, preferably with a view.

Fourth, at least one-third of the manuscripts that arrived didn’t have the right formatting. That’s often easy to fix. (I should know, since I did it so often). But every aspect of a manuscript that looks like the author wasn’t paying attention–or is simply reusing a manuscript already sent elsewhere–is a strike against its publication. And since, in our profligate electronic era one can add, delete, and modify in lightning-swift strokes, why not spiff up the manuscript before sending it to the editor? Tip: Dress your manuscript as if it were getting married. (For the first time, that is.)

Which brings me to the fifth thing I saw too often. Some emailed submissions came so generically packaged I felt I was unwrapping spam–the electronic kind, not the real kind (about which we actually published an article). If it looks as though you’ve sent the same piece to several journals at once, few who receive it will do so smilingly. We editors need to feel as though you pondered where to send your essay, chose well, and tailored the manuscript to that journal. Now I know that you may have sent it here after rejections from, say, three other journals. And we may, in fact, be just the right venue for (at least some version of) your article. But we don’t want to feel like fourth fiddle–especially if your article is about fiddling. Tip: Start by making the journal feel like the love of your life. At least for now.

There you have it.  Take this advice to heart, and stay tuned for the winter issue of American Music (due out in November) for additional insight into the life of an academic journal editor.  It’s good reading.  I promise.

This year, the cookie swap went big-time.  Press-wide.  Some of us started our cookie or candy preparations Sunday, but others were up awfully late last night to prepare for this inaugural swap.  There were 18 participants, with gorgeous and tasty contributions ranging from buckeyes to mascarpone thumbprint cookies filled with fig jam.  It didn’t take long for everyone to dive in and divvy up the treats, and we had plenty left over to share.

In deciding what to make for today’s event, I consulted my beloved Betty Crocker Cooky Book, a 1963 classic passed down from my grandmother, plus all my usual food blog haunts.  I had a list of options.  Then an e-mail offer from King Arthur Flour came in.  Those crafty marketing folks at King Arthur include pictures and links to recipes in their messages, and I couldn’t help but follow through to the blog post about Chocolate Bon Bon Drops.  In addition to cookie instructions, KAF staffer MaryJane Robbins writes about her brush with the famed Wellesley Cookie Exchange, now in its 38th year, if my calculations are correct.  I was so charmed by the whole post that Chocolate Bon Bon Drops became my holiday cookie this year.

At the moment, I’m not keen to bake cookies again soon, but after the fabulous cookies, recipes, and baking talk today, I know I’ll be there for the 2nd Annual University of Illinois Press Cookie Swap.  I’ll keep my Cooky Book handy.