The Journal of Family Life is an online, peer-reviewed journal created by the Emory Center on Myth and Ritual in American Life to explore how modern families make and transmit meaning through stories, traditions, and shared experiences. The journal accepts various forms of scholarly works and creative submissions related to family life, particularly the American family. It provides freely accessible articles, essays, research papers, poems, and multimedia content on its website.

1. A multimedia, peer-reviewed online journal

2. Journal of Family Life was created to continue the path-breaking work of the Emory Center on Myth and Ritual in American Life (MARIAL), which is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The journal is only online at http://www.journaloffamilylife.org/ It is scholarly and sophisticated, offering general-interest articles and creative works dealing with how modern families (with an emphasis on the American family) make and transmit meaning in their lives through story, myth, ritual and celebration.

3. Unlike traditional academic journals, Journal of Family Life does not publish issues and editions. Rather, content is added to the journal Web site as it is ready for publication. The newest material may be found on the journal's homepage http://www.journaloffamilylife.org/. Archived content can easily be found if you browse by subject area (such as memory) http://www.journaloffamilylife.org/browse/subject, content type (such as poem or research article) http://www.journaloffamilylife.org/browse/content, contributor (author) http://www.journaloffamilylife.org/browse/contributor, or date (when it was published) http://www.journaloffamilylife.org/browse/date.

5. Submissions can be text-based or image-based, including video and audio.

6. Traditional scholarship is complemented by relevant creative works of fiction.

7. The journal is free and available to anyone through the internet.

8. The editor is Emory University Professor of Psychology Marshall Duke.

10. The editorial board includes: Lynn Schofield Clark, Ph.D.Author, Associate Professor, and Director of the Estlow International Center for Journalism and New Media University of Denver Nicole Cooley, Ph.D.Director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing and Literary Translationand Associate Professor of EnglishQueens College, City University of New York Barbara Fiese, Ph.D.The Pampered Chef Ltd., Endowed Chair in Family ResiliencyProfessor and Director, Family Resilience CenterUniversity of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Jennifer Hirsch, Ph.D.Associate Professor of sociomedical science Mailman School of Public HealthCo-Director, Interdisciplinary Research Methods Core, HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral StudiesColumbia University Karyn Lacy, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Sociology and the Center for Afro-American and African StudiesUniversity of Michigan Ralph LaRossa, Ph.D.Professor, Department of SociologyGeorgia State University Ann Marie Leshkowich, Ph.D.Associate Professor of AnthropologyDepartment of Sociology and AnthropologyCollege of the Holy Cross Sarah Collyer McPhee, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Art HistoryEmory University Steven Mintz, Ph.D.Director, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Teaching CenterColumbia University Walter Reed, Ph.D.William R. Kenan University Professor and Director of Graduate Institute for Liberal ArtsEmory University Will Ransom, Ph.DMary L. Emerson Professor of Piano and head of the piano facultyEmory University

12. 5 poems http://tinyurl.com/n8zmcs

13. 4 photo essays http://tinyurl.com/ow8oym

14. 3 research articleshttp://tinyurl.com/lmehkh

15. 4 audio files, including lectures and an original song http://tinyurl.com/r9443w

16. 1 film http://tinyurl.com/oblkmd

17. 1 book excerpt http://tinyurl.com/plybnuTopics covered to date include Alzheimer’s, adolescence, marriage, memory, narratives, death, work, resilience, recession, identity, home and mother. Recently, we decided to begin reviewing books on family life and already have two in hand, including one called “The Daddy Shift: How Stay-at-Home Fathers, Breadwinning Moms, andShared Parenting are Transforming the American Family.”

19. Most arrive directly (by typing in http://www.journaloffamilylife.org/), through Google and Bing searches and through Emory’s homepage, where several of our submissions have been publicized http://tinyurl.com/mk4dtn.

21. Call for submissions Submission guidelines are at http://www.journaloffamilylife.org We accept photo essays, research papers, essays, poetry, music, video and short films. We seek submissions from all disciplines including psychology, sociology, family studies, religious studies, theology, anthropology, literature, cultural studies, history, women’s studies, political science, art, journalism, science, business.

22. Thanks to those who helped bring the journal to life University library staff, especially Erika Farr, Sarah Toton, Lisa Macklin, Connie Moon Sehat and Martin Halbert. The team at Resonance, who designed and created the journal Web site: Michael Baxter, Kathleen Turaski, Chris Doherty and Paul McKibben. MARIAL graduate fellow Donna Mote, who graciously shared her insights from creating an online journal called Practical Matters for the Graduate Division of Religion at Emory. Bradd Shore, whose vision of this journal started us on this journey more than a year ago. Marshall Duke, whose enthusiasm for this journal kept me going when the next step appeared insurmountable. Donna Day, whose curiosity and support mean the world to me. Jan Gleason and Nicole Anderson, who helped me with the journal’s marketing strategy.

23. Questions?