You maybe stumped by the word that is our theme for the March issue of Topology—I was until not that long ago. But check out the definition below and I think you’ll agree that it’s a word that deserves some traction in the world today. Essays, poetry, and images are all welcome on the topic by the February 1 deadline, and you can find links below for our editorial guidelines and online submission form. Thank you for your consideration!
Editorial guidelines
Online submission form
Solastalgia
Submission deadline: February 1
Publishing dates: March 6-24
Solastalgia (n.): “A form of homesickness one gets when one is still at home, but the environment has changed.” A longing for a place that no longer exists, due to development, degradation, “progress.” At this time of year, many in the world observe Lent as a season of lament, and so we invite mourners of all backgrounds to share about the places they love that no longer exist in the form they fell in love with.
Prompts
- Write a list of the places you loved as a child that no longer exist in the form you loved. What do they have in common? Which one stands out to you as the most acute loss?
- Who might feel a sense of loss about the place that you now dwell in? What role have you played in changing the place they now grieve?
- How does an awareness of the layers of loss in a place over time, throughout history, affect the way you experience your own sense of loss in your lifetime?
- What places in your neighborhood are the most threatened by development?
- Is development of land always something to grieve? What distinguishes good change from bad change?
- What actions does your sense of solastalgia motivate you to take in terms of activism, shaping public policy, making art, etc.?
