Wanted: Catchy Book Title

7 April 2009, 1600 EDT

In an effort to keep up with Dan, I’m happy to report that Columbia University Press has just agreed to publish my book Constructing Rights and Wrongs: How the Human Rights Movement Forgot Bosnia’s Children Born of War.

I’m less happy about the fact that they are demanding I change the title. OK, anything with “Constructing” in it is probably too jargony to attract a wide audience. But my goal is to keep reference to my very interesting case study (children of war rape) in the subtitle, and have the main title refer to the wider theoretical contribution of the book, which is about how the process of constructing atrocity narratives regarding certain populations can frame the rights of other populations off the agenda altogether. Hence, “Constructing Wrongs and Rights.”

Well, now I’m in the market for ideas: a catchier, pithier title that still communicates this and engages constructivist literature on human rights advocacy.

“Wrongs and Rights?” “Blaming and Framing?” :)

Help! Whomever comes up with an idea that gets used shall receive a free copy.