Alumni News

Bennington Magazine: Call for Alumni Work

WHAT DIDN’T EXIST BEFORE YOU MADE IT?

The next issue of the Bennington magazine will be authored  by alumni submissions that respond to the question: What didn’t exist before you made it? From your responses, we will publish a ranging and vivid portfolio of alumni work.

We invite alumni to submit responses by Monday, April 29. Your submissions can cover work on projects large or small—whether you’ve redefined your industry, made a creative breakthrough, or otherwise pursued your passion, we want to hear your stories.

We are especially interested in your captioned work samples; reflective personal essays; informed opinion pieces responsive to the question; and other responses that are well-fit for the magazine format. To be considered for inclusion in the summer issue, submissions must be emailed to magazine@bennington.edu by Monday, April 29.

We will review submissions with an interest in building a magazine that can seam and represent many voices, as well as many areas of focus and making. Contributors should expect to have their work edited, and must have the rights to grant permission to the magazine to publish any artwork included with their submission. We will consider reprinting already published pieces as long as we are able to edit your reprint. We look forward to hearing from you.

WHAT SHOULD I SUBMIT?

Captioned work samples, essays, interviews, op-eds, thought pieces, as well as other narrative structures well fit for a magazine format that answer the question: What didn’t exist before you made it? For this particular issue, we hope to include as many captioned work samples as possible.

WILL ALL SUBMISSIONS BE ACCEPTED?

All submissions will be considered; however, due to limited space in the magazine, we may not be able to publish all submissions.

WHEN WILL I KNOW IF MY SUBMISSION WAS SELECTED?

You’ll be notified by Monday, May 6. If your submission is selected, we will thank you by sending a Bennington pennant and three additional copies of the magazine.

Word Counts and Guidelines

  • Captioned work samples: Art/Photography (at least 300 dpi) and a caption describing the work (200 words or less)

  • Personal essays: A first person essay; 800 words or less; a short three line bio at the end of the piece

  • Briefs: A very short summary or quote; 300 words or less

  • Informing Opinions: A personal essay with a point of view related or responding to the question; 1,000 words or less; a short professional bio

  • Interviews: Alumni interviewing other alumni about their work. Interview should be 800 words or less.

WHEN IS THE LAST DAY I CAN SUBMIT TO THE MAGAZINE?

The deadline to submit be considered for inclusion in the summer issue of the magazine is Monday, April 29.

WHO GETS BENNINGTON MAGAZINE?

All alumni with up-to-date addresses receive the magazine, as well as parents, grandparents, friends of the College, local businesses, Vermont legislators, and peer institutions.

WILL THE MAGAZINE STILL INCLUDE CLASS NOTES?

Yes! For alumni who wish to submit news, updates, or call outs to keep in touch, unrelated to the prompt, we will continue to include your submission in class notes.

WILL I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE WORK BEFORE IT IS PRINTED?

Absolutely. Prior to sending to the magazine to the printer, all contributors will see their work in design.

WHO SHOULD SUBMIT?

All alumni should consider submitting something to this issue. We hope to hear from writers, scholars, authors, artists, inventors, entrepreneurs, technologists, lawyers, activists, leaders, philosophers, scientists, and especially those of you working in hybrid worlds.

WHEN WILL THE MAGAZINE BE PUBLISHED?

Bennington will distributed in the mail throughout early July.