Published Submissions: Classic Gene Kelly
Rest Easy, Gene Kelly, Your Legacy Lives On, by Georgia Bloo Nicolaou
Gene Kelly, Always Pushing Forward, by Wendy Sulphur
An American in History: On Gene Kelly's Influence, by Pluto Rosner
- Two decades after his death, Gene Kelly continues to teach and inspire.
Gene Kelly, Always Pushing Forward, by Wendy Sulphur
- Kelly remains relevant because he consistently fought against the industry's expectations of him.
An American in History: On Gene Kelly's Influence, by Pluto Rosner
- I'm following the steps of Gene Kelly, transcending the gender being represented.
This call for submissions is now CLOSED. Get notified about our next round of topics by following us:
Original Call for Submissions
A 2005 Volkswagen commercial featuring Gene Kelly from Singin' in the Rain (1952) is arguably distasteful and, by all accounts, unethical. After all, Kelly’s face has been cut out and "pasted" onto the bodies of three breakdancers—which means that Kelly now "performs" steps and gestures he did not (nor likely would not) while he was alive.
According to Volkswagen’s communications manager, the company felt this moment from Singin’ in the Rain "encapsulates the very essence of Gene and we feel that our latest GTI captures the spirit of the Volkswagen Golf GTI as a stylish and classic car that has, like Gene, stood the test of time.”
While we might collectively wag our finger at Volkswagen's Golf GTI campaign, we can probably all agree that Gene Kelly represents "a classic" who has "stood the test of time." With that in mind, we are seeking essays/stories that address the following:
By Friday, January 11, 2019, use our SUBMISSIONS FORM to pitch your short, personal story/essay addressing one of the questions above (or something similar).
Complete drafts—which should be original, in English, and fall somewhere between 500-1,500 words—will be due Monday, January 21. We plan to publish your contributions on/around February 2, the 23rd anniversary of Gene Kelly's death.
Image: "Classic Car," Paul Brennan.
According to Volkswagen’s communications manager, the company felt this moment from Singin’ in the Rain "encapsulates the very essence of Gene and we feel that our latest GTI captures the spirit of the Volkswagen Golf GTI as a stylish and classic car that has, like Gene, stood the test of time.”
While we might collectively wag our finger at Volkswagen's Golf GTI campaign, we can probably all agree that Gene Kelly represents "a classic" who has "stood the test of time." With that in mind, we are seeking essays/stories that address the following:
- Why do Kelly (and/or his films) remain relevant more than 70 years after his/their prime?
- Historically, what makes a classic text/person, and how does Kelly fit that?
- How long have you been watching Kelly onscreen, and why has he remained present in your life?
- (For the more creative writer/fan perhaps), which classic car does Kelly embody, and why?
By Friday, January 11, 2019, use our SUBMISSIONS FORM to pitch your short, personal story/essay addressing one of the questions above (or something similar).
Complete drafts—which should be original, in English, and fall somewhere between 500-1,500 words—will be due Monday, January 21. We plan to publish your contributions on/around February 2, the 23rd anniversary of Gene Kelly's death.
Image: "Classic Car," Paul Brennan.
GENE KELLY FANS is a nonprofit fan/website created for scholarly, educational, and entertainment purposes, so we do not pay authors for submissions. We can, however, guarantee that your work, if selected, will be professionally edited and widely read.