Living on or visiting the Great Plains leaves a tattooed impression on the souls of some writers. The wide open spaces mixed with the historical backdrop of families trudging their way to new frontiers occupies a certain place in the American psyche.
This notion became the inspiration behind the Plains Song Review literary magazine. The magazine will be releasing its 12th issue Tuesday night at the Great Plains Museum, located at 1155 Q St.
Despite the obvious connotations of the Plains Song Review, Kaitlin Ek, a junior English major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and editor of the magazine, said its topics aren't as limited as they might appear.
"It seems like a narrow view to some," she said. "A lot of people think (writing about the plains) means cornstalks and cows, but we get a lot of different points of view. It's actually pretty wide-ranging."
Ek cited a story about a circus in Omaha in this year's issue and the many minority viewpoints in the magazine as examples of the wide-ranging topics the Great Plains can produce.
The Plains Song Review, founded in 1999, features poetry, fiction, essays, black-and-white photography and other art pieces. The selection process begins each year when the editor-in-chief — which is Ek this year — elects a board of four or five students to read through the submissions.
"We look for unique pieces and pieces that we feel speak to the Great Plains experience," Ek said. "As well as good writing and good photography in general."
Also, each year the magazine features an interview. Ek said this year's interview is with novelist Timothy Schaffert.
Charles Braithwaite, faculty member in the Great Plains Studies department and consulting editor for the Plains Song Review, said the journal is part of the growing trend in regionalism.
"It's the only publication that I know of that takes the region of the Plains as a focus," he said. "And much like the work of Willa Cather and others, it shows us the Plains region in a new light."
Braithwaite also said there's much to be excited about in this issue.
"I'm always impressed with the quality of work that's generated by students and members of the community," he said. "I think the photography this year, really, is probably some of the best we've ever seen."
This issue features 43 pieces by 30 different contributors. A special $200 award is given each year to the best piece written by a UNL undergraduate.
"It's called the Christine Pappas Award," Ek said. "This year's winner is Suzanne Dawson, a senior English major at UNL."
The reception starts at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Great Plains Museum. This magazine, which is normally $7, will be on sale for $5, and there will be readings by 15 of the contributors. Also, all of the photography will be on display.
If you pick up a copy of the Plains Song Review on Tuesday you're guaranteed to discover, or perhaps rediscover, the American Great Plains, Braithwaite said.
"Every time an issue comes out, I read it and I get a whole new appreciation for this part of the country," he said. "And I grew up in Los Angeles."
nickhardt@dailynebraskan.com
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