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It is much better to be tied to one wonderful thing than to allow a mere catalog of wonderful things to deprive you of the capacity to wonder.
G. K. Chesterton
Of all forms of literature, however, the essay is the one which least calls for the use of long words.
Virginia Woolf
Were we to illuminate the most ordinary, common, and familiar of things, then the greatest miracles of nature and the most marvelous examples, especially concerning human actions, might be formed.
Michel de Montaigne
Others have taken heart to speak of themselves because they found the subject worthy and rich; I, on the contrary, because I have found mine so pointless and so meager that no one could suspect me of ostentation.
Michel de Montaigne
Everything I see or hear is an essay in bud. The world is everywhere whispering essays, and one need only be the world’s amanuensis.
Alexander Smith
[The "light" essay] offers no instruction, save through the medium of enjoyment, and one saunters lazily along with a charming unconsciousness of effort.
Agnes Repplier
The task of the essayist is to collect the fruit of his experience, reflect on it, and set it out for our consideration.
Ian Jack
The world is not so much in need of new thoughts as that when thought grows old and worn with usage it should, like current coin, be called in, and, from the mint of genius, reissued fresh and new.
Alexander Smith
And on the loftiest throne in the world we are still sitting only on our own rump.
Michel de Montaigne
One can tie up all moral philosophy with an ordinary and private life just as easily as with a life of richer stuff: Each person bears the entire form of the human condition.
Michel de Montaigne
As it maps the territory of the self, the essay details the particulars of everyday life…. The wonder is not that art can be made of such ordinary stuff, but that we should expect it to be found anywhere else.
G. Douglas Atkins
As for me … I enjoy living among pedestrians who have an instinctive and habitual realization that there is more to a journey than the mere fact of arrival.
E. B. White

Participate

The Ped­es­tri­an in­vites sub­mis­sions of "fa­mil­i­ar" or "per­son­al" es­says. Es­says on any sub­ject are wel­come, but we prefer es­says that re­late to a theme from one of our is­sues (see our ed­it­or­i­al cal­en­dar be­low). Our themes are broad and we do not ex­pect that an es­say, which is of­ten di­gress­ive by nature, will ex­plore a theme ex­haust­ively. In some cases the theme may re­main in the back­ground of the es­say or may be tan­gen­tial to the main sub­ject. For those who prefer a more ex­pli­cit start­ing point, you can find a bit more fo­cus in our quarterly es­say con­test.

In ad­di­tion to ori­gin­al es­says, The Ped­es­tri­an also pub­lishes his­tor­ic­al and con­tem­por­ary re­prints and trans­la­tions. The ed­it­or wel­comes your re­com­mend­a­tions for ma­ter­i­al that would nicely suit a forth­com­ing is­sue. The fa­mil­i­ar es­say has a long his­tory with many pre­curs­ors writ­ten in many lan­guages. In ad­di­tion, there are re­lated types of writ­ing such as let­ters, lec­tures, char­ac­ter sketches, dia­logues, and di­ary entries. If you come across a let­ter or manuscript or chapter of a book that is con­ver­sa­tion­al, re­flect­ive, at­tuned to the loc­al and little things of life, or oth­er­wise sim­il­ar to a per­son­al es­say, and it is suited to an up­com­ing theme, please re­com­mend the piece to the ed­it­or (use this link or email editor@thepedestrian.org).

Not familiar with the personal essay genre? Click here for our list of introductory resources.

editorial calendar

Essays must be emailed or postmarked on or before the following deadlines to be considered for inclusion in the print issue (essays about any of our themes, past or present, may be considered for online-only publication at any time):
 

Issue No 1 • Empathy
(deadline for print issue has passed)
 

No 2 • Tools
(deadline for print issue has passed)
(submissions accepted until October 1, 2010) 
 

 

No 3 • Play
(September November 15, 2010)
 

No 4 • Quiet
(March 15, 2011)
 

submission guidelines

The Pedestrian strives for prompt response to queries and submissions, responding within four weeks of receipt. Submission guidelines are as follows:

  • Please submit double-spaced text of a maximum 5000 words.
     
  • We accept multiple submissions.
     
  • Please note if the submission was previously published or if it is currently submitted or accepted for publication elsewhere.
     
  • Include the following on a cover page:
    • full name
    • mailing address
    • email address (if applicable)
    • issue no./theme for which you are submitting (see the editorial calendar above)

Email queries, manuscripts, or correspondence to Christopher Spiker, editor: editor@thepedestrian.org. Or send a hard copy (which will not be returned) to:

The Pedestrian
PO Box 22468
Philadelphia, PA 19110

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