The theme for the Summer 2026 issue of Oregon Humanities magazine is “Revolution.” We're currently accepting submissions of art and short essays ("Posts").
Art
We invite Oregon-based photographers and artists to share works that we might consider for the cover and table of contents for the Summer 2026 issue, “Revolution.” Please send entries by July 3, 2026 to art@oregonhumanities.org, and include the following:
- A high-resolution digital image. Cover images are vertically oriented, with room for our masthead and cover lines. We use horizontal images for our table of contents pages.
- Your name, the title of the work, the type of media, and contact information (email and phone number)
- Description of the relationship of the image to the theme
Posts
Quitting a job, ending a marriage, leaving a faith. Taking part in a fundamental change in political organization, ideas, or ways of life. For the summer issue of Oregon Humanities, we’re asking readers to share their true stories about revolutions—whether successful or failed, collective or personal. Send your submission (400 words maximum) by July 3, 2026 to posts@oregonhumanities.org. Submissions may be edited for space or clarity.
Features for Winter 2027, "Passage"
The theme for the Winter 2027 issue of Oregon Humanities magazine is “Passage.” We’re looking for stories about transitions, journeys, and motion.
There are many kinds of passages, and we’re open to writing about any of them: voyages past, present, and future; changes both physical and mental; even transformative texts. Explain how a transformational law or an unforgettable melody came to be. Explore the movement of people, traditions, and languages. Write about physical routes, such as rivers, roads, and trails, and how they’ve evolved or shaped communities over time. Consider rites of passage and how we mark milestones. Tell us about the experience of being at the threshold of a new place or state of being.
We welcome all forms of nonfiction writing from Oregon residents, including essays, journalism, criticism, and excerpts from forthcoming or recently published books. Successful submissions will reflect our vision of an Oregon that invites diverse perspectives, invites challenging questions, and strives for just communities. We encourage submissions from writers of all levels of experience.
We encourage stories created with or by communities—classrooms, neighborhoods, congregations, or any other group with shared interests and experiences. Some examples follow:
- “Borrowed Kitchens and Conference Rooms,” an exploration of the shortage of community spaces in East Portland
- “We Contain Multitudes,” a story about the experiences of international and BIPOC adoptees, featuring many voices
- “The Power of Community Spaces,” a profile of what one space means for a small Oregon community
- “My Heart Belongs Where the Trees Are,” a story about Black communities in Eastern Oregon
- “What They Carried,” stories of refugees told through objects
Please send drafts of personal essays, which should push beyond simple narrative and consider larger thematic questions. If you’re pitching a journalistic or researched piece, please send a proposal and links to any prior published work, and tell us why you’re the person to write this story.
Features generally range between 1,500 and 4,000 words. All contributors are paid between $750 and $1,500, depending on the length and complexity of the piece.
Currently the magazine is distributed free to 15,000 readers. Work from Oregon Humanities has been reprinted in textbooks, the Pushcart Prize anthology, Utne Reader, High Country News, and Best American Essays, and featured on public radio programs Think Out Loud, State of Wonder, and This American Life.
Please note that we do not accept submissions of poetry or work generated by AI, and we generally only publish pieces by current residents of Oregon.
If you are interested in contributing to this issue, please read past issues and the guidelines for writers. Then, submit one proposal or one draft by August 17 to editors@oregonhumanities.org. Please include your full name and place of residence in your email.