"Pasts Imperfect," a channel of the LA Review of Books, addresses forgotten, manipulated, or misunderstood aspects of global antiquity and highlights how narratives about the distant past influence the world we live in today. We seek contributions addressing any aspect of ancient culture -- from South America, China, and the Indus Valley to the ancient Mediterranean world -- as it lives on in books or films, pop culture or executive orders. We hope above all to foster smart, stylish, approachable public scholarship by a diverse range of voices.

If you're interested in writing for us, please first look through our past columns to make sure we're a fitting venue for your idea -- starting with Sarah Bond and Joel Christensen's inaugural piece: https://www.lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-man-behind-the-myth-should-we-question-the-heros-journey.

Then, use this form to send us a short (c. 200-word) pitch for an approximately 2000-word piece. If you've never pitched before, check out this advice from the late, great Eidolon: https://eidolon.pub/how-to-pitch-especially-to-eidolon-7d925eec669. You'll be able to keep editing your pitch once you send it. Please don't send a fully formed essay as you can expect us to take active roles in editing and shaping your piece. We pay our writers $100 per published piece.

We especially hope to support and amplify emerging voices and underrepresented perspectives. To that end, we're collecting demographic data and seeking to build mentorship relationships. None of the information you provide below will count against your pitch. We review pitches on a rolling basis; please reach out to nbp006@gmail.com if you haven't heard from us within a month or if you have any technical difficulties.

 Thanks for your support in these endeavors and for your interest in "Pasts Imperfect"!