EUGENE, Ore. -- (Nov. 20, 2009) -- Oregon Quarterly, the magazine of the University of Oregon, invites submissions to its 11th annual Northwest Perspectives Essay Contest.

The Northwest Perspectives Essay Contest, sponsored by Oregon Quarterly and The Duck Store, is open to previously unpublished pieces about ideas affecting the Northwest. Non-fiction writers are encouraged to compete in open and student categories.

The winner in the open category will receive $750 and publication in the Summer 2010 issue of Oregon Quarterly, which is distributed to nearly 100,000 readers. The student winner will receive $500. The second- and third-place finishers in both categories will also receive cash prizes.

Thomas Hager, author of "The Alchemy of Air" and other award-winning books of narrative science history, will judge this year's contest.

The 15 finalists will be announced in the Summer 2010 issue of Oregon Quarterly and invited to attend a writing workshop with Hager. Six top essays, from both the student and open categories, will be featured in a public reading.

Entries must be postmarked by Jan. 31, 2010. There is no entry fee.

For complete contest rules, visit www.OregonQuarterly.com.

About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 62 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.

Contact: Julie Brown, 541-346-3185, julbrown@uoregon.edu

Link: Oregon Quarterly, http://www.oregonquarterly.com

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