
The theme for the Spring 2025 issue of Oregon Humanities magazine is “Bloom.” We’re looking for stories about flourishing, blossoming, openness, and growth.
In this issue, we hope to explore literal blooms and the themes and ideas and histories and traditions associated with them—agriculture, gardening, ecology, and all that—as well as metaphorical blooms. What do individuals and communities require to thrive? How has Oregon managed or failed to manage growth? Can prosperity and sustainability go hand in hand? What plans or movements or concepts are budding in Oregon right now?
We welcome all forms of nonfiction writing, including essays, journalism, 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:
- “We Contain Multitudes”, a story about the experiences of international and BIPOC adoptees, featuring many voices
- “My Heart Belongs Where the Trees Are”, a story about Black communities in Eastern Oregon
- “Long Live the Kings,” a story about drag king culture in Portland and Seattle
- “One-Person Protest,” a class project by our Humanity in Perspective Class
- A collection of memories of the pandemic from students in Warrenton, Oregon
- “Our Story on Our Territory,” a story of the Chinook People’s reclaiming of land
- “What They Carried,” stories of refugees told through objects
- “Stake Your Place,” a profile of a Portland neighborhood
- “In These Uncertain Times,” a photo essay drawn from submissions by people across Oregon
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, links to your clips, if any, 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 14,000 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.
If you are interested in contributing to this issue, please read past issues and the guidelines for writers. Please note that we only accept work by writers who reside in Oregon, though no proof of residence is required. Then, submit one proposal or one draft by December 16 to editors@oregonhumanities.org.
Upcoming Themes
- Spring 2025: Bloom (April 2025, submissions due December 16, 2024)
- Summer 2025: Real (August 2025, submissions due April 2025)
- Winter 2026: Consume (December 2025, submissions due August 2025)
- Spring 2026: Labor (April 2026, submissions due December 2025)