Call for pitches from BackStory. This one looks fun! -Mia

++++++++++++++++BackStory’s working on an upcoming show on the history of sexual norms in America. We’re looking for stories that illuminate how those norms have been defined, understood, policed, and challenged: everything from same-sex desire to interracial marriage to norms of intimacy and prostitution. We’re a history-focused show, so we are interested in stories set in the past – generally the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, but sometimes as far back as the 15th century. If it happened in the last 20 years, it’s probably not a good fit for us. Our key question is: what does this story reveal about how people in the past understood their world differently than we do today? That is, a successful pitch will reveal something specific (and surprising!) about the time and place where the story happens. (A story set in the 1830s that could just as easily have happened in the 1730s or 1930s is probably not a good fit.)

As always, we’re looking for stories with strong characters (living or dead), something at stake, and a surprising takeaway. Find more detailed pitch guidelines here: http://backstoryradio.org/producers/ We have a tiered payment structure, available on AIR’s pitch page — it usually ends up being roughly $100/min, but depends on the skill of the producer and the complexity of the story. We’re generally looking for elements between 3 and 8 minutes. Please email pitches, and any questions, to BackStory Associate Producer Nina Earnest: nina.earnest@virginia.edu.

We look forward to your brilliant ideas!
Jess