Sometimes, the best solutions to big problems are very simple.
Regarding the current outbreak of COVID-19, I propose a solution that — on the surface — might seem preposterous […] I propose temporarily stopping time. This means that today’s date […] will remain the current date until further notice.
–Tyler Cowen
The current time is a period of transition, with a distinctive
quality, characterizing the end of an epoch. Something —
some age — is coming quite rapidly to an end.
–Nick Land
2020, a year that we should be able to see clearly yet remains opaque, is halfway through. Wildfires, civil unrest, an ongoing global pandemic, and the lingering question of “where do we go from here?” have been recurring. Indeed, while not yet out of the fray, we can look forward and already notice that anytime after now will, at least nominally, be “post-COVID.” Whether that term means anything more than the other “post-”’s do is up in the air, but what is for sure is that time is not what it used to be.
The future has been thrust into the present in ways we couldn’t expect. Massive work shutdowns, global dis-integration, changing relations of workers to work, etc. have all been par for the COVID-course. In this 14th issue of Plutonics, we want, in some perverse way, to tackle questions of time and templexity. We are looking for submissions that deal, in some way (it may be as broad as you want) with questions of the past, present, future, or changing existence. This is not meant to be a rigid theme — indeed, we welcome any submission(s), even if unrelated to the above —, but rather something to structure your work around. As such, questions of time and templexity ought not be seen as guidelines that your work must conform to lest it be rejected, but rather things to chew on as you write your stories about Kant taking Hegel from behind, or the Kabbalistic characteristics of SSD sizes.
Thus, submission guidelines are minimal. Written works can be any length with citations easily convertible to Chicago Style. Works of art ought to be original (or heavily remixed) while plagiarized works ought to have an accompanying justification. Please email all submissions to mvupress@gmail.com and include the following information: title of your work, what you’d like to be called, a short (3-5 line) biography with any relevant links, and any other requests.
The “deadline” (a very malleable thing) is January 31st, 2021. Feel free to send any questions to the above email and we look forward to seeing what you produce!
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