Tell us a fire story.
The Confluence Lab, in association with the University of Idaho’s English Department, seeks submissions for a forthcoming book, Stories of Fire: An Atlas of Pacific Northwest Climate Justice.
How are you, and those around you, orienting to the impacts of wildfire? How are you marking and mapping your geographic and sensory experiences of fire and smoke? What is a “map,” and how could an innovative atlas add layers of meaning, reflect all the voices of our region, especially those not represented in mainstream narratives/maps of fire?
We welcome essays, textual maps, commentary, interviews, fiction, poetry, and multi/cross-genre pieces from anyone based in or writing about wildfire, especially those in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, and the Pacific and/or Intermountain West. We aim for inclusivity and respect our region’s diversity and its complicated history with fire. The editors are particularly interested in voices from rural, Indigenous, and underserved communities.
Stories of Fire will be an atlas of text, art, and maps with four themes/concepts: Groundtruths, Fuel Loading, Sightlines, and Clearings. The atlas will have three parts: the first will cover fire management and best practices for “mapping” our region’s experiences; the second will be an anthology of on-the-ground perspectives and firsthand experiences; and the third will be a workbook for fire resiliency and planning community futures. This project partners with the Just Futures Institute, and our editorial principles include non-extractive research, empathy, and respect for community expertise.
Individuals who do not consider themselves professional “writers” but who wish to share their fire knowledge are strongly encouraged to submit a request to collaborate with or be interviewed by the editors. We invite and welcome the opportunity to learn from and share your expertise.
Limit 5,000 words; one submission per person. There is no submission fee.
Submissions and requests to collaborate should be sent to lhampton [at] uidaho.edu. Use the subject line “SUBMISSION.” In your submission email, please explain your personal/creative connection to Idaho, Washington, and/or Oregon, and how your submission relates to the project description. Attach submissions as either MSWord or PDF files.
Deadline: July 1
Visual artists are also encouraged to submit to our online art exhibition series.
