Call for Submissions: Oregon Humanities

Oregon Humanities invites submissions for its Fall 2007 issue on the theme of “Domesticity.”

The notions of house, home, and family have long figured prominently in the American imagination, appearing as tropes in literature, film, and art, and influencing humanities work in such fields as gender studies, geography, sociology, anthropology, and economics. These notions have become particularly significant in contemporary culture, from daily news about the cooling housing market and the fallout from sub-prime lending, to the prevalence of shelter and home décor magazines, books, and TV shows. As we negotiate these myriad commercial and cultural constructions of house and home on a daily basis, how are our interactions with family and community affected? How do our roles as public and private citizens develop and change?

For the Fall 2007 issue of Oregon Humanities, we are looking for essays and articles that use the humanities to explore the theme of domesticity. Writers may wish to discuss and explore any of the following ideas: how domesticity figures in our shared culture; representations and narratives of domesticity in history, literature, and contemporary culture; changing conceptions and definitions of house, home, and family; how we define ourselves and create identities through house and home; value systems created and perpetuated through notions of domesticity; social and political catalysts of the home ownership industry; commercial or cultural products of domesticity. We are especially interested in exploring domesticity as it relates to the shifting boundaries between public and private spheres. Specifically, how does our financial and psychological investment in the private space of the house affect our investment in public, common spaces?

We welcome all forms of nonfiction writing, including scholarly essays, journalistic articles, and personal essays. Scholarly and journalistic features in Oregon Humanities typically range between 2,500 and 4,000 words in length. Personal essays, which should not be simply narrative but should also consider larger thematic questions, typically run no longer than 1,500 words. All contributors receive an honorarium. Currently the magazine is distributed to 12,000 readers.

If you are interested in contributing to this discussion on domesticity, please submit a proposal or draft by June 8, 2007, to Kathleen Holt, Editor, Oregon Humanities magazine, Oregon Council for the Humanities, 812 SW Washington St., Suite 225, Portland, Oregon 97205, or kholt@oregonhum.org.

Oregon Humanities is the semiannual magazine of the Oregon Council for the Humanities, an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) that is dedicated to the belief 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 Lectures, and read the contents of the current issue of Oregon Humanities at www.oregonhum.org