Features for Spring 2027, Trust
The theme for the Spring 2027 issue of Oregon Humanities magazine is “Trust.” We’re looking for essays and pitches about truth, reliability, faith, and confidence.
How is trust gained and lost? What do we risk when we place trust in others, and what can we gain? How do different religious and philosophical traditions understand trust and belief? How has trust or the failure to trust shaped historical events? Why are some professions trusted, while others are regarded with skepticism? Why is trust in government, media, and our neighbors declining in the United States? Once broken, how can trust be rebuilt or restored? Consider some of the secondary definitions of trust: monopoly, credit, or hope.
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 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 December 8 to editors@oregonhumanities.org. Please include your full name and place of residence in your email.
Upcoming issues
- Spring 2027: Trust (submissions due December 2026)
- Summer 2027: Age (submissions due May 2027)
- Winter 2028: Begin (submissions due August 2027)
- Spring 2028: Repair (submissions due December 2028)