After more than three years, the Driftless Area Review is preparing to make some changes. These changes will be both large and small. These changes include:
Editorial Clean-up
These first two points are interrelated. Over the next few months, I’m going to be giving many of my older posts an editorial once-over. Some posts don’t look right or come across as sloppy. The aim will be for a better visual appearance, creating a clean and consistent post format. Because growth and maturity is an inherent factor in criticism, I will keep all my old reviews, even the cringe-inducing ones. If I see a missed word or poor grammar, I will clean that up. The content of the review will be preserved.
Increased Navigability
With the editorial clean-up will also come steps for increased ease of navigation. The Internet is best when it allows the reader to navigate in a manner akin to free association. I want to make it possible for you to go in any many different directions as you can. This will include adding links to posts in essay series and the like. I will also add separate pages listing the various posts, like Mondays with the Supremes, Translation Tuesdays, and the Art of Reviewing.
Format Change
As you see the small changes occur, the end result will be to roll out a newly formatted blog. I’m aiming at a magazine-style format.
Open Call for Writers
Along with the format and navigational changes, I would like to open up the Driftless Area Review to contributors. There comes a point when one realizes that something is bigger than one is. For the past three years, the Driftless Area Review has been a one-man show. The tests and complications of life have made it a challenge to post regularly. With this in mind, I would like to bring on more voices and views. I’m looking for reviewers and/or essayists who want to bridge the gap between academia and the popular press. Unfortunately, there won’t be any monetary compensation. If you are interested, send me an email at thedriftlessareareview [at] hotmail.com. (I’m also looking for contributors for my politics and pop culture blog, Coffee is for Closers. Send inquiries to the same email address if you’re interested.)
