The Foreign Service Journal, December 2009

D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 9 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 19 We invite those of you who expect to publish a book between now and next fall to send us a copy (along with promotional materials), for inclusion in our annual compilation of recently published books by Foreign Service- affiliated authors, “In Their Own Write.” Sept. 1 is still the deadline for a listing in the roundup, which will run in November. For more information, contact Senior Editor Susan Maitra at maitra@afsa.org . Share Your Insights We take seriously our mission to give you “news you can use” —e.g., in- formation about how to advance your career; tips on dealing effectively with the bureaucracy at State and the other foreign affairs agencies, especially when you are trying to resolve a prob- lem; and updates on how AFSA is working to improve working and living conditions for Foreign Service em- ployees and their families. Much of that coverage is found, of course, within the pages of AFSA News . This section offers many dif- ferent ways for members to share their experiences, thoughts and concerns re- garding professional issues, including the following departments: Family Member Matters, Of Special(ist) Con- cern (a forum for specialists), Where to Retire, On the Lighter Side (FS humor), Memo of the Month (high- lighting amusing or ridiculous notices — unclassified, please! — circulating at overseas posts), and The System and You (notes from inside the bureau- cracy). AFSANews Editor Francesca Kelly also plans to introduce a new depart- ment next year profiling AFSA post representatives. For more information about these departments, or any aspect of AFSA News , contact Francesca at kelly@afsa.org . Another place to look for such items is our periodic FS Know-How depart- ment. We welcome contributions on topics ranging frommanaging one’s ca- reer and cutting red tape to parlaying one’s professional skills in retirement, as well as financial information and guid- ance for Foreign Service personnel. There are many other ways you can contribute to our pages, of course. I hope you will share your reactions, positive and negative, not only to this issue but to what you read every month, by contributing to our Letters section. Just bear in mind that, as with all periodicals, the briefer and more fo- cused your letter is, the more likely we’ll be able to print it in full. (In gen- eral, 200 to 400 words is a good target.) The Speaking Out department is your forum to advocate policy, regula- tory or statutory changes to the Foreign Service. These columns (approxi- mately 1,500 to 2,000 words) can be based on personal experience with a professional injustice or insights into a foreign affairs-related issue. Our Reflections department pres- ents short commentaries (approxi- mately 600 words long) based on personal experiences while living or traveling overseas. These submissions should center on insights gained as a result of interactions with other cul- tures, rather than being descriptive “travel pieces.” We are also pleased to consider poetry and photographs for publication, either in that section or as freestanding features. Please note that all submissions to the Journal must be approved by our Editorial Board and are subject to ed- iting for style, length and format. For information on how to submit a col- umn, article or letter, please contact us at journal@afsa.org , and we will be de- lighted to respond. Other inquiries — changes of address, etc. — should also go to that address. Let us hear from you. ■ L E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I T O R We take seriously our mission to give you “news you can use.”