EOU to host Feb. 26 gala celebrating Oregon East's 75th edition

Eastern Oregon University’s student-run literary magazine Oregon East is celebrating its 75th edition in 2026, and EOU plans a Feb. 26 gala tied to the milestone, with copies of the journal to appear at JaxDog Books in downtown La Grande and at the EOU Bookstore on campus. The journal’s portal directs readers to “Contact Oregon East for your free student copy!” and says the print edition will “shortly be available for purchase at JaxDog Books in downtown La Grande and at the EOU Bookstore in campus.”

EOU’s site describes the publication succinctly: “Oregon East is a student-run art and literary magazine.” The portal also states the magazine is “Published annually, the magazine showcases work from students of Eastern Oregon University.” The most recent issue listed on the portal is the 2022-2023 Edition, labeled “Volume LIII,” and is credited on the site as “Curated by Editor Christopher Densmore, Managing Editor Mary K. Urquhart, and Art Editor Jessica Hitzman.” The portal copy adds that the 2022-2023 issue “exhibits a beautiful arrangement of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art from a collection of talented students.”

A separate report fragment accompanying the portal copy reiterates the 75th-edition claim: “Eastern Oregon University’s long-running student literary journal, Oregon East, is celebrating its 75th edition in 2026.” That same fragment also describes the publication as “The student-led publication, which features poetry, short fiction, and artwork by regional writers and artists, is recognized as one of Oregon’s longest-running co” but the sentence ends mid-word in the supplied material.

Several concrete items remain unconfirmed in the material provided. The portal explicitly restricts publication to student work, while the other fragment explicitly references regional writers and artists; both statements appear in the available sources and should be reconciled with Oregon East’s official submission policy. The portal notes open calls, “Students can now submit work for consideration of the 2023-2024 issue. Click here for the submission guidelines”, but the full submission guidelines and any rules on external contributors were not included in the supplied text.

There is also an apparent inconsistency in numbering: the portal lists 2022-2023 as “Volume LIII” (Roman numeral 53) while the separate report calls the upcoming issue the 75th edition in 2026. The materials do not explain whether “edition” and “volume” follow different counting systems, whether some years had multiple issues, or whether the archive contains gaps. Clarification from Oregon East editors or EOU communications is needed to reconcile Volume LIII with the 75th-edition claim.

Practical contact and distribution details in the portal remain explicit and usable. Oregon East Magazine is listed at Hoke Center #328, Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, OR 97850, with email oe@eou.edu. EOU’s general campus address is One University Boulevard, La Grande, OR 97850-2807 and phone 800-452-8639. For verification of the Feb. 26 gala date and details, year confirmation, venue, ticketing, program and any speakers or readers, EOU communications and the Oregon East editorial team are the appropriate contacts; the portal’s materials note social outreach channels including EOU on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.