Gastronomica welcomes articles from any field touching on the history, production, uses, and depictions of food. In addition to research articles, we will consider prose, poetry, original artwork, photographs, and cartoons, as well as occasional pieces that deal with food.

Articles should generally not exceed 8,000 words. Each submission should be accompanied by a cover letter with the author's name, address, phone number, and e-mail address, as well as a brief biographical statement, a 100-word abstract, and a word count. Research articles to be considered for publication should be submitted in three copies. Since they are refereed anonymously, the author's name should appear only on the cover sheet. Manuscripts must be prepared according to the Chicago Manual of Style, with double-spaced notes at the end of the text. Submissions will be returned only if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Artwork can be submitted as transparencies, prints, slides, or color photocopies. They'll be returned only if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. If the images are electronic, they should be sent to the attention of Darra Goldstein at gastronomica@williams.edu

Queries are welcome. Address all editorial correspondence and submissions to Darra Goldstein, Editor, Gastronomica, Weston Hall, 995 Main Street, Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267.

All editorial e-mail should be sent to Darra Goldstein at gastronomica@williams.edu.

Editorial Format

The pool of potential contributors to Gastronomica is quite large, encompassing not only academics with an interest in food, but also independent scholars, journalists, writers, architects, and artists.

The backbone of Gastronomica is the 2-3 research articles in each issue; shorter supplemental articles straddle the academic and non-academic worlds. All articles published in Gastronomica, regardless of length, are distinguished by impeccable scholarship, provocative analyses, and fine writing.

Selected Feature Departments

Since Gastronomica looks at food and culture from many different angles, the feature departments vary from issue to issue. A sampling of typical features includes:

Borborygmus
A medical term for stomach rumblings, in Gastronomica Borborygmus is the place to discuss rumblings in the world of food. This feature serves as a forum for the discussion of issues either controversial or emerging that affect the food world. Letters to the editor, and any ensuing dialogue, appear here.

Archive
Archive provides an opportunity for scholars to share some wonderful bit of research that doesn't quite fit into a larger project but is too appealing to discard, such as an obscure food-related document from an archive or book, preferably something quirky. The document, itself brief, is accompanied by a page of commentary to contextualize it.

Worldwide Food
Worldwide Food is an international page to make readers aware of food studies abroad, with contributions from writers residing outside the U.S.

Feast for the Eye
This department features a painting, drawing or other work of art from any era or culture. Commentary on its depiction of food or eating places it in historical or social context.

Poem
Any fine poem that takes food, eating, or agriculture as its inspiration will be considered.

Prose
Prose is either short fiction or an essay that explores some aspect of our relationship to food.

Origins
This feature provides a place for food historians to investigate at length a foodstuff or dish, either one that is still enjoyed in a given culture or one that has been lost. A close look at a particular food festival or holiday celebration also fits here.

Cartoons
Cartoons treating food as social commentary are welcome in each issue.

Libations
This feature looks in depth not only at various alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, but also at the culture of drinking.

Working on the Food Chain
This feature turns to issues of food production and distribution, investigating the progression of the meal from farm to table.

Chef's Page
For this column, chefs contribute a brief essay on how they perceive the connection between food and culture, particularly in the context of the restaurant environment they've created.

Fundamentals
Fundamentals highlights a specific technique or piece of equipment and demonstrates its connection to the culture from which it arose.

Design
This feature looks at both architectural and interior design in kitchens, restaurants, and other venues having to do with the production of food.

Visionaries
This department profiles individuals who have made significant contributions to the world of food, whether through writing, cooking, farming, political activism, or any number of other pursuits. The articles are not strict biographies as much as they are an opportunity to examine some of the larger food-related issues that affect us.

The Bookshelf
Each issue reviews approximately 10 new books - not simply recipe collections, but scholarly books about food, essay collections, and novels, as well as cookbooks that contain substantial cultural information. Although preference is given to books published by academic and small presses that are not likely to receive much commercial attention, any substantive book will be considered.

Lagniappe
A Creole word meaning a small gift or bonus, Lagniappe provides an irresistible footnote to the journal, often in the form of a humorous piece or image.

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