'Community of Voices' Invites Reflections on Identity and Diversity

Public invited to submit written pieces or visual images for a book that will be published next spring

WOOSTER, Ohio - What does it mean to be part of a community? How can one preserve individual identity and still champion diversity?

Area residents are invited to contemplate these questions and share their thoughts in an edited collection of essays, short stories, poems, academic writing, and art. The project, titled "A Community of Voices: Reflections on Identity and Diversity," seeks to celebrate the diverse and multiple communities in and around Wooster. The initiative is sponsored through a grant from the Hewlett-Mellon Fund and The College of Wooster.

"We hope to create a deeper understanding of both our differences and our commonalities," said William Macauley, associate professor of English and director of the Writing Center at The College of Wooster. "We intend to provoke reflection and attract participants from local communities."

Proposals and submissions will be reviewed and edited by a committee that consists of Macauley, Jessica DuPlaga (director of off-campus studies), Anne Gates (associate dean of students for academic success and retention), and Nicola Kille (coordinator of the Ambassadors Program). The final collection will be published next spring.

"Not only will 'Voices' focus on the diversity that is Wooster, but it will also reflect how, together and separately, we create and recreate the greater Wooster community," said Macauley. "The idea of the collection is to provide the widest possible range of reflections on the lives of those who are like us, as well as those who are overtly and covertly unlike us, to learn from the experiences of others and to think carefully about those lessons."

The editors encourage submissions from anyone who has a connection to Wooster, from longtime residents to one-time visitors. "Awareness is half of the work," said Macauley. "The other half is careful, thoughtful reflection. We are looking for pieces that narrate and reflect on the experiences of contributors and others around them based on, but not limited to, race, class, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, ability, socioeconomic status, travel experience, educational attainment, language proficiency, and line of work."

Prose and verse pieces not exceeding 3000 words in poetry, short stories, creative non-fiction, drama, song, and research-based writing will be accepted along with camera-ready drawings, photographs, prints, paintings, and sculptures.

Completed manuscripts and artwork can be sent via e-mail to wmacauley@wooster.edu. For additional information, call 330-263-2372. The deadline for submissions is Oct. 7.