Friday, June 5, 2015

Call For Submissions: Manifest: Transitional Wisdom on Male Privilege

Edited by Megan Rohrer and Zander Keig
(the editors of Letters For My Brothers: Transitional Wisdom in Retrospect, which was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award)

We're looking for  essays, first person narratives, poems and other creative non-fictional works written by trans* identified males. Submissions from trans* identified women are being curated in another process and authors interested in submitting from this perspective should email before sending completed works.

Your story can be smart, historically rooted, funny, provocative, progressive and/or political.  Stories should include maleness or male privilege as a theme.  While it's okay to reference fancy academic ideas, our goal is to begin an accessible conversation about male privilege and the wisdom that individuals gain  transitioning.

If you have a great idea, or are unsure if your submission fits what we are looking for, send it in anyway.  Our editors will work with you to help it meet our submission guidelines or to get it into another book or journal in the Wilgefortis catalog.

Accepted authors will receive a free copy of the book.  Proceeds from the book will benefit transitional wisdom gatherings to provide opportunities for trans individuals to share our history in community. Deadline for consideration is September 1st.  If you are interested, but will miss the deadline, please email the editors.

How to Contribute to Manifest: Transitional Wisdom on Male Privilege:

  • You can contact the editors with questions at: wilgefortisbooks@gmail.com
  • If you would like to publish with a pseudonym you are able, in your bio please use your chosen name for submission and include some generic information about where in the country you live and other identifying information you think would inform readers without compromising your privacy.
  • Submit your non-fictional work (no longer than 20 pages), with a one paragraph biography to wilgefortisbooks@gmail.com
  • Because we plan to work on other works on transitional wisdom, authors may submit as many contributions as they would like.

Monday, March 2, 2015

Call for Submissions: More Bible Stories

Edited by Megan Rohrer and Daniel Tisdel
(this book is the second volume of our Bible Stories Series)

We're looking for fictional stories that flesh out little known characters or tell stories with an eye toward contemporary issues.  This is not meant to be a translation or another version of the bible like The Message, rather authors will create a fictional story inspired by the ideas, characters or well known stories and reimagine them in a contemporary setting.  This may include writing about a character we don't know much about, or telling the before or after story that doesn't appear in the gospels. 

Your story can be smart, historically rooted, funny, provocative, progressive and/or political.  Stories should be rooted in justice, expand the diversity of people who can see themselves as faithful or simply be a good story.  While it's okay to reference fancy academic ideas, the audience for this book is progressive pew sitters, pastors and those curious about faith.

If you have a great idea, or are unsure if your submission fits what we are looking for, send it in anyway.  Our editors will work with you to help it meet our submission guidelines or to get it into another book or journal in our Bible Study that Doesn't Suck series.

Accepted authors will receive a free copy of the book.  Proceeds from the book will benefit Welcome: A Communal Response to Poverty and support projects that seek to end hunger.

Deadline for consideration for the second volume: May 15th.

How to Contribute to More Bible Stories: Reimagining Between the Lines:

  • Contributors are encouraged to email pastor@gracesf.com before you begin writing.  Send a short synopsis of your idea and we'll give you feedback or let you know if we already have submissions using similar characters or stories.
  • Email your fictional story (no longer than 20 pages), with a one paragraph biography to pastor@gracesf.com.
  • Because we plan to do more than one volume, authors may submit as many stories as they would like.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Bible Stories Excerpt: 3 Corinthians: Megan Rohrer



3 Corinthians // Megan Rohrer



Dear people of Corinth,

Grace, peace and all that stuff I usually write at the beginning of my letters.  I trust this letter finds you well.

Thank you for being so cool about all that unsolicited advice I sent you awhile back.  I was going through a grumpy phase, because I was experiencing a lot of pain from a leg injury.

I am maturing in faith and have come to the conclusion that  God is God, and I am not.  By this, I mean to say that my near-God-experience, gave me a bit of a God complex. Some of my previous letters were written in my false belief that I was better than you.

I have since learned that we all make mistakes in life, love and faith.

Since we last communicated, I discovered that married life is much harder than I imagined.  And, despite my best efforts we divorced and are now seeking to repair our hearts and put our lives back together.  In the midst of my transition, it has occurred to me that I have begun to live into some of the traits I previously judged you for.

I am sorry.

Love is a lot harder than I thought.  I have stumbled and mis-stepped, even when I was acting with the best of intentions.   In my struggles, I learned more about God's patience, redemptive power and forgiveness then I had ever known before.

Instead of listing a laundry list of faults I found in your community, I wish I would have listened more to your pains and the lessons you learned as you reconciled with God and your neighbors.

I hope to visit you soon and share my apologies in person. Until then, feel free to share all my letters with others as a reminder of my arrogance and as a lesson to judge others less.

Thanks again for putting up with my youthful obnoxiousness.

Love in Christ and doing my best,



Paul