On Sept. 17, the Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services officially launched their magazine, “Appalachian Places.”
The magazine started under the previous name, “Now and Then: The Appalachian Magazine,” which has been a part of the program for 32 years, but shifted to better reflect the region and the changing media environment.
Becky Parsons, the graduate assistant for the Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services, has worked on the publication for a year.
“With the new digital format, we plan to incorporate photo essay content, video interviews, and include direct links to music, videos, and other multimedia representations of Appalachian culture and issues,” said Parsons. “We now publish work on the website on a rotating basis as submissions are accepted and finalized.”
12 stories have already been published to the site, featuring content from Appalachian authors and poets. Photos are provided by the writers or collected by the editorial staff, or captured by Charlie Warden, the “Appalachian Places” photography editor.
According to Ron Roach, director of the Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services and co-editor of Appalachian Places, the magazine serves as a continuation of ETSU’s mission.
“I invite you to join us on a continuing journey as we climb together in a common pursuit of what we can learn from one another about the places we call home and how we might contribute to a better quality of life for people in Appalachia and on other mountains around the world,” wrote Roach in an editor’s note on the website.
While a majority of the work within the magazine focuses on the Appalachian Highlands, they also strive to include work from other highland regions. Parsons extended an invitation for students to submit their own work to be featured in the publication.
“I would like them to know that ‘Appalachian Places’ connects the broader Appalachian and highland regions with our local area,” she said. “I invite students to check out the magazine and consider crafting a submission. We want to reflect a wide breadth of perspectives by seeing submissions from authors of different backgrounds and fields of interest if they relate to our theme and follow our submission guidelines.”
To check out the magazine, visit appalachianplaces.org.
