Call for Book Chapter Poposals - Frontier Mythology and Poverty, 1885 to 1923: Reading the Dark Side of the Progressive Era

Frontier Mythology and Poverty, 1885 to 1923: Reading the Dark Side of the Progressive Era explores how western mythology spread through popular media may have overshadowed late 19th-century equity movements, including the Knights of Labor's efforts to advance both workers' rights and racial and gender equality. This interdisciplinary collection examines the complex relationship between the rise of frontier mythology and the acceptance of social inequality in America.

Currently under consideration by Vernon Press, the collection is approximately half complete and seeking additional scholarly contributions to round out the volume. We are particularly in need of essays addressing Simon Pokagon, Zitkala-Ša, Helen Hunt Jackson, socialism, and Mormonism within the context of frontier mythology and Progressive Era social dynamics.

Topics of interest

We are particularly interested in submissions that:

• Examine the intersection of frontier narratives and economic inequality

• Analyze popular media's role in shaping attitudes toward poverty and social reform

• Explore regional variations in how frontier mythology influenced Progressive Era policies

• Investigate the impact of Western imagery on labor movements and social justice efforts

The collection invites individual and co-authored chapters of 5,000 to 8,000 words. All submissions must be original, unpublished work not under consideration elsewhere. Accepted chapters will undergo peer review.

Please submit your 500-word proposal and a short author bio to Margie Judd via email at margieejudd@gmail.com.

Inquiries and Abstracts

• Questions and preliminary discussions are welcome at any time

• Submission Deadline: October 15, 2025

• Acceptance Date: November 15, 2025

• Chapter submissions: September 1, 2026

About the editor: Margie Judd, PhD, is the author of "Gunshots, Indian Scouts and Train Robberies: Frontier Mythology in William Dean Howells' Hazard of New Fortunes," which appears in the August 2020 issue of Western American Literature.