Have you got what it takes to write for the Washington Monthly?

• Author: Levine, Arthur
• Position: The Culture of Institutions

Writers for The Washington Monthly sometimes complain that we're a little too, shall we say, uninhibited, about urging our point of view upon them-and their manuscripts. In 1979, Arthur Levine mocked the Monthly's editing style

"How can I become a Washington Monthly writer? I can't write for beans, I'm dull as dishwater, l hate researching, and I don't have any strongly held political opinions. Could I get published in your magazine?"

Welcome aboard! Our top-notch editors will be glad to add an introduction, a conclusion, and loads of thought-provoking opinions without troubling you with the dreary task of doing it yourself. Many contented writers have said that there's no surprise quite like seeing a manuscript of theirs end up as an article in The Washington Monthly. Often they find themselves espousing ideas they've never even heard of, let alone agree with.

Let's take the underlying approach. The magazine bills itself as "the liberal magazine that challenges liberal orthodoxy." In other words, we are practically indistinguishable from National Review, except that our readership is made up of average, white, educated liberals. All articles should be written with this reader in mind: He's just come home from work, he's tired, and he's wading through a pile of liberal magazines. You only have a brief moment to catch his attention. What to do?

Challenge his assumptions! That's right, kick him in the shins. Take whatever he holds dear and tell him that he's wrong.

Your best bet is to stick to widely held assumptions. Let's take Nazi Germany. Your readers probably think the Nazi regime was the most evil in world history. At the Monthly, we say, "Hey, not so fast! Let's take another look." Here's a sample of the way some top Washington Monthly writers might approach this all-important issue:

"Busting Our Mental Blocks on Hitler"-Contributing editor Tom Bethel) argues that the sins of Adolf Hitler have been wildly exaggerated by the liberal media over the years, especially by The New York Times and The Washington Post. Highlights of the piece include his witty, scathing attacks on Anne Frank and Eli Weisel. He ends with a ringing denunciation of government bureaucracy.

"How Many Jews Did You Kill...