The Flâneur's Turtle

ABOUT

The Flâneur’s Turtle was created in April 2012 by Michael Stelzer Jocks and the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) at Robert Morris University – IL for the following purposes:

A)     To extend classroom conversations beyond class time.  As all instructors have experienced, classroom discussions often need to be shortened in order to cover the requisite course materials.  Or, perhaps, the class time runs out just as an argument gets interesting.  Or, maybe a student comment simply sticks with a faculty member, leading him/her to explore said comment.

B)      To explore and discuss topics and ideas that investigate the world around us.

The Turtle is the place to allay these issues. Hence, there is no limit to what may be covered within the Turtle. (Though, the Turtle try to keep away from extreme controversy).

Obviously the title of the publication may sound a bit odd.   Here you can learn What is a Flâneur?

Initially, the publication was simply going to be titled “The Flâneur”.  However, in a meeting, a member of the CLA mentioned that Parisian Flâneurs had been known to walk a turtle on a leash from time to time.  Supposedly, strolling with a turtle around ‘The City of Lights’ gave the Flâneur ample time to make note of urban culture and everyday life.  The turtle-walking Flâneur may be apocryphal, but no matter.  It makes for an unforgettable image.

So, follow the Turtle!  You can do so via e-mail or Facebook (both are on the sidebar to the left). You can also follow through your own WordPress account.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Currently, The Flâneur’s Turtle accepts submissions only from Robert Morris University faculty, staff, students, and alumni. However, be aware that readership is not restricted to RMU, as the Turtle has many readers from around Chicago and the world.

All of the pieces on the Turtle falls under the broad category of “creative nonfiction.” At present, the Turtle does not accept works of fiction or poetry. As with all publications, please familiarize yourself with the Turtle first before submitting to make sure your piece is a good fit for the Turtle.

To Submit:

• E-mail submissions to CLA@robertmorris.edu with the subject “FLaneur’s Turtle Submission.”
• In the body of the e-mail, be sure to provide your full name and your relationship to RMU (Faculty, Staff, Student, Alumni).
• Attach your submission as an MSWord compatible document.
• If you want any media (videos, pictures) or links to accompany your submission, please attach those to the e-mail or provide URLs in the body of the e-mail.
• Submissions are typically around 750 words in length, though there is slight flexibility. Significantly longer submissions (1500+ words) will not be considered.
• Response time to submissions is typically within two weeks, but allow for up to four weeks for a response before inquiring on the status of your submission.