On Thursday, June 6, 2019 the Fourth Annual Mormon Studies Publication Workshop will be held at the University of Utah.

The workshop helped to create a sense of community among young scholars from a variety of places and disciplines while providing helpful feedback for developing projects. Over the past three years, we have received dozens of excellent submissions on race, gender, sexuality, and other historiographical fields. Last year, at Boise State University, we hosted scholars from across the United States California to Massachussetts. You can read more about the 2017 meeting at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis here.

Workshopped papers from the past three years have become parts of books published by (or under contract with) Oxford University Press, University of Nebraska Press, and Routledge University Press; the Journal of Religion, the Journal of Mormon History, Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture, completed dissertations, and other distinguished venues.

The workshop, “Writing: Strategies on How and When to Write,” will be held Thursday, June 6 from 10:00 AM AM-3:30 PM. There will be no cost for the workshop beyond punctual arrival and rigorous intellectual engagement.

ELIGIBILITY TO APPLY:

In a change from past years, anyone that is interested in Mormon Studies in any discipline may apply to participate in the workshop. Women, people of color, independent scholars, and other underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply. The paper you propose to present must touch on Mormonism in some way (comparative studies are welcomed). Participants should be physically present in Salt Lake City to participate in the workshop.

In order to apply, please send the following application materials to joseph dot stuart at Utah dot edu and klwright at princeton dot edu:

• Name and Email
• CV
• A 100-150-word abstract of the paper you’d like to contribute to the workshop
• Where you’d like to publish your paper (anywhere from a blog to a book project with a university press)
• Confirmation that you will be in Salt Lake City

Anyone that does not submit each part of the application will not be considered for participation.

THE WORKSHOP:

This year, we will discuss the work and art of writing for popular audiences and academia.

After our morning discussion, and the provided lunch, the workshop’s cohort will break into groups to discuss each participant’s paper. Groups will be organized by topic or common methodological interest (as possible). Papers may be up to 10,000 words (including footnotes). Submissions could be anything from a seminar paper to a book chapter, but it is expected that a draft will either be completed or, at a minimum, ready to be discussed at length.  Each participant will be required to read several other papers and be prepared to discuss each of them.

As a participant, you will also be responsible for introducing a colleague’s paper to the rest of the group. You will be responsible for summarizing the paper to the group and assessing the paper’s strengths and will then facilitate discussion of the paper for up to 25 minutes.

Applications are due on April 1, 2019 and notices of acceptance or rejection will be sent out on April 15, 2019. Accepted applicants must have a draft ready to be sent to other participants by May 23, 2019. Please help us spread the word by social media and word-of-mouth! I am happy to answer any questions that may arise.