As part of a symposium dedicated to the topic of uncertainty and anchored in the field of STS (science, technology, and society), we invite proposals for zines to be included and shared with symposium attendees and zine contributors. The symposium is hosted by the Science, Technology, and Society program at South Dakota Mines and will be connected to the Humanities, Arts, and Social Science department’s annual Zinefest event.
We invite proposals for zines that address uncertainty from a variety of perspectives, although we are particularly interested in approaches to uncertainty that connect with issues of science and technology, broadly defined. We welcome personal approaches, creative approaches, academic approaches, or a combination of these or other approaches, and we hope to be able to include zines representing a wide variety of visual styles.
Here are some possible questions/topics to consider, although this is not meant to be an exhaustive list:
- What does it mean to live with uncertainty? How does the experience of uncertainty affect our lives, our ethics, our interactions with others, our artistic practices?
- What role does uncertainty play in the production of scientific knowledge or in expertise?
- How should we respond to the uncertain futures created by technology?
- What stories do we tell about uncertainty and how do these stories shape our actions and our futures?
We will be printing and sharing copies of zines with in-person attendees of the symposium, mailing copies of accepted zines to everyone who contributes one, displaying zines in our 4th annual Zinefest event on campus in December, and including copies in our zine archive. To make sure this distribution and display plan is feasible for us, we are only accepting zines that use standard paper sizes (letter or legal) and constructions (8-page folded zines or half-page folds with staples). Zines will be used and distributed only in the ways outlined above, and authors retain all rights.
Please submit a brief proposal for your zine that describes both the form and content of the zine and shows how the zine will relate to the theme of uncertainty. Your proposal can describe a zine you’ve already created, if it is a good fit for the conference theme and will meet our requirements for size and construction.
The deadline for proposals is March 1, 2027. Final zine submissions (digital, for easy reproduction and distribution) will be due by September 1, 2027. Find more information about the related symposium here. To submit proposals or ask questions, email Christy Tidwell (christy.tidwell@sdsmt.edu).
