Write About Fire

Dear Friends,

The July/August 2026 edition of Western Friend is on Fire and I am hoping to receive submissions about how Fire impacts Friends in the West. This call is both literal and figurative, if you’ve been impacted by a real or emotional fire – I want to hear about it. Fire can be a purgative and destructive force but it is also generous. We are alive on Earth in part because of the Sun’s warm rays. The ashes left after a burn can foster new growth. Fires have rocked people’s communities and homes, and the devastation reveals what truly matters and clears a new way.

Submissions on Fire also don’t have to be dramatic. What was your favorite camp fire? Who set your soul alight? Did something happen in meeting that warmed you in a cold time? Is there a talent or yearning that burns in you? Have you ever burned out, only to be renewed in a different season?

For this edition of Western Friend, I’ll be interviewing a fire ecologist and receiving a piece about the impact of losing a home to wildfire. We’ll learn about the element of Fire in traditional Chinese medicine from a Quaker acupuncturist. If you know any Friends in the West who work proximate to wild fire or fire ecology, I’d love to interview them.

The due date is June 1st, and that’s fast approaching. Please keep submissions under 2,500 words and include a brief, three sentence bio with your piece that explains your Quaker affiliation, location and another fact such as your work or favorite hobbies.

Thanks Friends!