The theme for the Summer 2026 issue of Oregon Humanities magazine is “Revolution.” We’re looking for stories about radical or wide-reaching change in political, cultural, and natural systems.
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the ambitious and flawed experiment in republican self-rule that it announced. We’re taking this milestone as an opportunity to reflect on revolutions of all kinds. How do you go about turning the world upside-down? How do you know you’re experiencing a revolution? Are revolutions the only way to bring about sweeping change? What does revolution demand of the people who live through it? What does revolution cost, and what does it make possible?
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 11:59 p.m. Thursday, April 30 to editors@oregonhumanities.org. Please include your full name and place of residence in your email.
Future magazine themes
- Winter 2027 (December): Passage