At no time in recent history has the Golden State been so adrift. But futures do not beckon. They are made. What should ours be?

We announce that Boom: A Journal of California is now accepting submissions. A new, cross-disciplinary publication that explores the history, culture, arts, politics, and society of California, Boom will publish quarterly, with its debut issue in February 2011. Published by University of California Press, this magazine-format, highly visual journal will feature scholars, independent writers, and community and civic activists engaging the most pressing issues of the day.

Boom invites new questions. How, for instance, do we balance California’s penchant for innovation with an informed grasp of the past? What are the connections and contests between and among the coast and the inland, the cities and the country, the border and the state? How have all these places shaped and been shaped by the world beyond? Work, community, environment, culture, and politics have as many definitions as there are people experiencing them. How might new perspectives help us remake California and its place in the world?

Boom embraces answers in unusual formats, including photos, essays, documents, artwork, first-person accounts, and engaged scholarly essays. If you have California work, see our submission guidelines to consider which area of Boom best suits your piece. Living in California, we anticipate flux, so let us know if you have ideas that don't fit our categories. Guidelines are available at http://ucpressjournals.com/assets/BOOM_Guidelines_v4.pdf

For too long, Californians have lacked a venue for statewide discussions of our past, our tumultuous present, and the possible contours of our future. It’s time for Boom.

Louis Warren
Carolyn de la Peña
Co-Editors