… instead of just complaining about them on Gupshup 
But seriously, a friend passed this on to me and I thought there are so many girls with lots of different stories about dating and courtship, maybe someone would want to contribute something.
So here it is:
Warm greetings!
We are excited to announce an upcoming anthology on dating and courtship stories by American Muslim women. If you know of or are an American Muslim woman with a compelling story to tell, we want to hear it! Please see the attached pdf (or text below) for detailed information on submitting your pitch by January 15, 2008.
We are committed to highlighting a diversity of voices, including, but not limited to: orthodox, cultural and secular views, all racial and ethnic backgrounds, disabled, single, married, divorced and widowed women.
Please forward this widely within your personal networks, to literary listservs, and academic networks.
Thank you,
Ayesha Mattu and Nura Maznavi
Co-Editors
[FONT=Times New Roman]CALL FOR STORIES
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[FONT=Times New Roman]Announcing a call for non-fiction, personal stories by American Muslim women on courtship and/or dating to be published in an anthology. [FONT=Times New Roman]We are looking for talented writers to pitch well-written, surprising and compelling anecdotes for a book on loving and looking for love while Muslim.
WHY A BOOK ABOUT COURTSHIP/DATING?
[FONT=Times New Roman]There is a stereotype about Muslim women out there that does not show them as the thinking, feeling, lively people with loving hearts and independent minds that we know them to be. Partially, this is because there just aren’t enough real-life stories about Muslim women being told by Muslim women themselves.
[FONT=Times New Roman]The purpose of this collection is to take control of our narrative by telling our own stories, emphasizing the humanity we all share and celebrating the quirks that make us unique. We hope to do that through stories about courtship/dating, as these rituals exist in every societal context as the search for a partner is universal.
[FONT=Times New Roman]We’re excited at the prospect of amplifying the voices of American Muslim women. If you think such perspectives need to be heard too, we invite you to contribute your story!
DETAILS
Stories must be auto-biographical and written by American Muslim women, either born in and/or predominantly raised in the United States. We are looking for contributors who identify as American and as Muslim, whether by birth or conversion, and who reflect a broad range of religious perspectives, from orthodox to cultural to secular.
[FONT=Times New Roman]Write about a transformative episode that defined your courtship/dating experience. Think about the epiphany, the crystallizing moment: At what point in your life did your religious identity play a role in your search for a partner? Did other factors, such as ethnicity, race, class, etc. merge or collide with your religious identity?
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[FONT=Times New Roman]We want real-life stories rich with details so they read like fiction. We want more story-telling and less essay-like commentary.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]Diversity: Contributions are welcome from Muslim women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, born and convert Muslims, Sunnis/Shiites, disabled, single, engaged, married, divorced, or widowed.
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In order for your story to be considered, please send us the following information by **Tuesday, January 15th. **All responses will be treated as confidential.
*Your full name
*Age
*Your geographic location
*E-mail address or phone number
*Ethnic/racial background
[FONT=Times New Roman]*Whether Muslim by birth or conversion
*A 300-500 word pitch describing the highlights of your story.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]Pitches will be selected based on their literary merit. You already know what makes good writing: humor, drama, irony, triumph, and focus. Bring your anecdote to life with vivid characterization, plot, and surprising real-life details. Draw us in and leave us craving more of your story!
[FONT=Times New Roman]Contact us: Please send your pitch and all other inquiries to: [email protected]
Notification: We hope to make our selections by February 15, 2008. Final stories will be due May 1, 2008. Stories should range between 1,500 and 4,000 words.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]All submissions may not be accepted, but every submission will be considered.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]Editorial Team:
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[FONT=Times New Roman]Ayesha A. Mattu is an American Muslim of Pakistani heritage, a writer and human rights consultant living in San Francisco, CA.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]Nura Maznavi a Sri Lankan-American Muslim and civil rights lawyer based in San Francisco, CA.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]Safir Ahmed is a book editor and editorial consultant residing in San Francisco, CA. He is the former Editor of AlterNet and was a journalist for more than 20 years, both in the mainstream daily press and the alternative press. His most recently edited books on social and political issues, include: “Crashing The Gate: Netroots, Grassroots, and the Rise of People-Powered Politics” by Jerome Armstrong and Markos Moulitsas Zuniga; “How Would a Patriot Act?” by Glenn Greenwald; and “Thinking Points: Communicating Our American Values and Vision” by George Lakoff.