The Sophist's Cookbook
Call for Initial Proposals
Edited by Jimmy Butts and David Blakesley
Questions? Email jimmy.m.butts@gmail.com and/or david.blakesley@gmail.com
Associate Editor: Matthew Blakesley
Format: Four-color cover and interior, 70# white paper with photographs
Release Date: July 23, 2026 (San Diego Comic-Con)
We are seeking 50 to 75 initial proposals, each with a 100-word pitch for a recipe and a rhetorical reflection or story, by March 2, 2026. Notification of initial acceptance by March 9, 2026. View the details and timeline below. Submit your proposal by the due date here: https://bit.ly/sophists-cookbook-proposals
[Like rhetoric] [c]ookery simulates the disguise of medicine, and pretends to know what food is the best for the body; and if the physician and the cook had to enter into a competition in which children were the judges, or men who had no more sense than children, as to which of them best understands the goodness or badness of food, the physician would be starved to death. A flattery I deem this to be and of an ignoble sort, Polus, for to you I am now addressing myself, because it aims at pleasure without any thought of the best. An art I do not call it, but only an experience, because it is unable to explain or to give a reason of the nature of its own applications. . . . I have told you my notion of rhetoric, which is, in relation to the soul, what cookery is to the body. (Plato, Gorgias, c. 385 BCE)
When Socrates set out to dismantle rhetoric, he didn't merely compare it to philosophy, science, or medicine. He equated it to cookery. The sophists—those wily teachers—were like cooks who try to make bad food palatable with too much spice. Rhetoric, like cookery, was hardly more than a knack, and both were forms of flattery. Both might feed desire, but they do not move or delight the body and soul. For rhetoricians, that’s hard to swallow!
The Sophist’s Cookbook is a collection of recipes and reflections for those who believe that how we speak and write—and how we eat and cook—are noble crafts. We are seeking culinary contributions that pair a rhetorical concept or origin story with a literal dish. Whether you are serving up “Persuader Spaghetti” (promptly re-engineered), "Socratic Stew" (leaving you feeling emptier than when you started) or a "Five-Canon Margarita" (perfectly arranged for maximum impact), we want to hear the stories behind the plate. These are our applications, our concoctions for the ages.
Step 1: Submit Your Initial Proposal by March 2, 2026
If you’re intrigued, submit your 100-word initial proposal here: https://bit.ly/sophists-cookbook-proposals. The form asks for your name, email address, a recipe title, and then a short description. Your description can be informal. If you have several favorite recipes and aren’t sure what to propose, suggest several. The recipe may be for food or drink. You may submit more than one proposal. Have fun. Be creative. Surprise us.
Step 2: Submission of the Recipe and Story/Rhetorical Reflection (after Acceptance of Proposal)
Recipes: “How to Make a Puncept,” “The Chiasmus Crepe,” or “Enthymemic Sandwiches.” Please follow the format of the samples [to be provided once initial proposals have been accepted.] We will provide clear criteria for presenting and evaluating your recipes. Above all, however, your recipes should nourish and delight the body and the mind.
A paired short anecdote. Your recipe should be accompanied by a New Yorker-style short anecdote or rhetorical reflection (300 words). Tell a story. Find a connection. Here’s a sample of the style and tone we have in mind, in a somewhat longer form: “3 Thoughts While Pushing a Wheelbarrow” by Austin Kleon: https://austinkleon.substack.com/p/3-thoughts-while-pushing-a-wheelbarrow
The Style: Write for a General Audience, Not Just Rhetoricians
Write to a broad audience of foodies, writers, and curious thinkers.
Avoid Jargon: If you must use a term like kairos or synecdoche, treat it like a rare spice—explain its flavor and use it sparingly.
Tell a Story. Think witty, observational, and slightly provocative.
Key Dates for 2026
March 2, 2026: Short Proposal/Idea Due (A 100-word pitch of your recipe and the "rhetorical" or story angle). Please submit your initial proposal via this Google form: https://bit.ly/sophists-cookbook-proposals
March 9: Editorial decisions sent.
Those whose proposals have been accepted will receive two finished (and fully laid) out sample stories, recipes, and food photos with photography directions by this date as well so that they will understand the genre and the process and length requirements.
March 30: Full Draft Due (Recipe + 300-word story). You will be provided submission directions if your initial proposal is accepted.
May 15: Final Revisions & Photographs Due (We will provide a photography protocol to ensure a consistent, high-end look).
July 2026: Publication. The “street” date is July 23, 2026, at San Diego Comic-Con.
