About the Carryall

What’s in The Carryall?

No specific scholarly journal of United States cultural or intellectual history exists even though the history of symbols and ideas permeates almost everything we read, watch, and hear in the country. Canned or half-digested accounts often suffuse both scholarship and the large mass-media, but decades after the so-called “cultural turn” in the humanities and years after the supposed demise of intellectual history, the delivery of sophisticated analyses of cultural and intellectual history—of how symbols and ideas from the past matter—remains inconsistent at best. There are plenty of scholars and thinkers who have something to say, however, and many topics to cover more fully. We aim to catch and present more of these important voices and perspectives. How? By serving as what Alfred Kazin called an “intellectual carryall” for “critical inquiry, lay philosophy, the intellectual conscience.”

A carryall is, of course, a bag, but it is not just a grab bag. It can hold a lot, but it tries to put its contents into meaningful, purposeful order. A carryall can also be a small vehicle, and it can even refer to an earth mover. We strive to live up to all these metaphors by offering a place to study American culture and ideas in the United States (and also, crucially, beyond it in transnational dynamics). We aim to tote, haul, and push along the rigorous study of culture and ideas productively and satisfyingly, in well-written prose, multimedia modes of argument, and other styles and forms.

In this spirit, The Carryall publishes peer-reviewed scholarship, essayistic writing consisting of diverse voices, and various formats of both long- and short-form analysis. We do not wish to reproduce simplistic “exceptionalist” views of the US; rather, we consider materials, topics, and themes that are local, regional, national, or transnational in orientation from any relevant disciplinary perspective. Our intended readership is both scholarly and public—and often exists at the boundary between specialized knowledge and general interest audiences.

For writers, we offer extensive editorial development to help bring scholarship and writing to fruition. We take a particular interest in the potential of digital scholarly publishing, looking for opportunities to make effective use of the digital medium for delivering sharp, effective historical arguments, compelling narratives, as well as, when applicable, the evocative sharing of primary source materials in multimedia and interactive modes.

Overall, we present history in both traditional and experimental formats, from peer-reviewed essays to long-form writing, short-form features, roundtables, literature reviews, commissioned essays, correspondent reports on news from the field, interviews, lesson plans, annotated documents, bibliographies, columns, playlists, a podcast, and more.

Qualified participants can participate in the shaping of The Carryall as Contributing Editors. Students can join our Correspondents Program. Editorial Assistant Internships are available as well, including for course credit through the State University of New York (SUNY) Brockport’s Department of History, where the journal is based. Join us if you are interested.

In the spirit of public intellectualism, our online journal is open-source and freely available rather than existing behind an expensive paywall or subscription fee. If you wish to support The Carryall financially, we welcome (tax-deductible) contributions.

Questions? Write us.

— Michael J. Kramer, Editor

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