CSVPA readers may be interested in the Call for Abstracts for the next issue of Langscape Magazine: Volume 7, Issue 2, Winter (Northern Hemisphere) 2018, on the theme “Nourishing Body and Soul: The Biocultural Diversity of Food”. The deadline for Abstracts is July 27, 2018.
In this upcoming issue, to be guest-edited by Dave Harmon, Terralingua co-founder, they will tackle the topic of food as a central part of all human cultures: both how food is acquired or produced—whether it is grown, gathered, hunted, or fished—and, importantly, how it is prepared and shared and the rituals and symbolisms that become associated with it.
Food is a vital thread that runs all through our lives and one of the strongest links between our past and our present, both as individuals and as members of cultural groups. The diversity of foods—understood as physical, cultural, and spiritual nourishment—has arguably been one of the defining aspects of human biocultural diversity. They welcome proposals on any aspect of the biocultural diversity of food, with a focus on how biologically diverse foods have contributed to cultural distinctiveness – and vice versa.
Contributions to Langscape Magazine may take different forms, either text-driven (essays, poetry, etc.) or artwork-driven (such as photo essays, video essays, or other visual art).
For this issue, they are especially interested in contributions from Indigenous youth (aged 18 to 25) who are reconnecting with traditional foods and ways of procuring, preparing, and sharing food, as a means of reclaiming their heritage and regrounding in place. Indigenous youth whose contributions will be accepted for publication will be rewarded with a small honorarium.
To learn more about the Call for Abstracts and how to submit, please visit this page. If you’d like to be considered as a possible contributor to this food-focused issue, send them an abstract soon, carefully following the instructions. Again, the deadline is July 27, 2018.
BEFORE YOU SUBMIT, you may want to familiarize yourself with the most recent issue of Langscape Magazine, Vol. 7.1, released in June 2018, whose theme is “Biocultural Diversity Conservation: Communities at the Cutting Edge.” Contributors give voice to communities around the world and address the question: what does it mean for a community to “conserve” biocultural diversity? As per the publication: “Ultimately, people don’t conserve particular places or cultural practices – they conserve values that they associate with those places and practices.” This should lead us to think about the conservation of biocultural diversity in new ways and to support the efforts communities are making to ensure that the values we all share never disappear.
You can read the Editorial, Table of Contents, and the sample articles. (Copies of the full issue are available through their Market, or you may purchase a subscription.) A selection of past Langscape Magazine articles can be found on the reading platform Medium.
