Oregon Humanities magazine invites submissions for its Spring 2009 issue on the theme of "Nostalgia".
Whether used to describe fondness for a bygone time or homesickness for aplace, nostalgia involves longing for an idealized past. Historian Christopher Lasch writes, "Nostalgic representations of the past evoke atime irretrievably lost and for that reason timeless and unchanging. Strictly speaking, nostalgia does not entail the exercise of memory at all, since the past it idealizes stands outside time, frozen in unchanging perfection." What are the benefits of and problems with recalling our personal and political histories in this way? How can nostalgia motivate us to or prevent us from imagining a better future?
For the Spring 2009 issue of Oregon Humanities, which coincides with Oregon's sesquicentennial, we are looking for essays and articles that explore the theme of nostalgia. Writers may wish to explore nostalgia in literature, art, media, and consumer culture; nostalgia as a narrative tool in politics and policy-making; the role of nostalgia in public discourse; the phenomena of commemorations and cultural tourism; the use of nostalgiain constructing our identities as Oregonians and Americans.
We welcome all forms of nonfiction writing, including scholarly essays, personal essays, and journalistic articles. We accept proposals and drafts of scholarly and journalistic features, which range between 2,500 and 4,000 words in length. We accept drafts only of personal essays, which should consider larger thematic questions and run no longer than 2,000 words. All contributors receive an honorarium. Currently the magazine is distributed to 12,000 readers. Essays from Oregon Humanities have been reprinted in the Pushcart Prize anthology and the Utne Reader.
If you are interested in contributing to this issue, please submit a proposal or draft by September 22, 2008, to Kathleen Holt, Editor, Oregon Humanities magazine, Oregon Council for the Humanities, 812 SW Washington Street, Suite 225, Portland, Oregon, 97205, or kholt@oregonhum.org.
Oregon Humanities is the triannual magazine of the Oregon Council for theHumanities, an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). We believe that knowledge and ideas are fundamental to the health of our communities. You can learn more about OCH's programs, which include Oregon Chautauqua, Humanity in Perspective, and Commonplace Events, and read the contents of the current issue of Oregon Humanities at www.oregonhum.org.
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Kathleen HoltCommunications Director/Editor of Oregon Humanities magazine
Oregon Council for the Humanities
812 SW Washington, Suite 225
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 241-0543 x15
http://www.oregonhum.org
You can now use your credit card to make a donation to OCH online. Supportyour favorite humanities programs in Oregon and, when you make a matchingcontribution to the Oregon Cultural Trust, receive a tax credit. Visit http://www.oregonhum.org for more information.
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