On this year’s Cascadia Day, we have some news.

It’s been a challenging few months for all of us here in the Pacific Northwest. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn have had profound affects. Many people are out of work, numerous businesses have closed–and some may not re-open. It’s a tough time for many of us, and an extremely challenging one to keep a non-profit publication up and running.

We’ve had a good run here at Cascadia Magazine, but it’s time to close down. Fundraising is going to be difficult challenge in the days ahead, and though emergency grants are increasing, many worthy nonprofits in the region are scrambling for those funds to continue doing the great work they do.

We’ll publish a few more works of poetry, essays, and fiction over the next month or so before closing down for good.

I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished. We’ve published a diverse, thoughtful, and fascinating mix of journalism, poetry, fiction, essays, and photography. One of our writers was honored with a first place award from the Western Washington chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. We hosted a variety of engaging public readings and events. And we demonstrated that the Pacific Northwest is a place bursting with talented writers, artists, and photographers. I want to offer my deepest thanks to the writers, our board of directors, and dedicated volunteers who made this possible. It’s been an honor to work with all of you.

Thank you to our subscribers, our donors, and our devoted readers. Your faith in this project made it possible. I hope that another regional publication will eventually rise to the occasion and cover the fascinating mix of people and landscapes that make Cascadia so special. Those of you who were recurring donors may have already noticed that your automatic donations have been cancelled. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at andrew@cascadiamagazine.org.

As for me, I’m still committed to pushing the idea of the Cascadia bioregion, and to working across borders to build connections between people in the Pacific Northwest. I’ll be moving my career in a new direction, and dedicating more time to my own personal writing. I’ll still be periodically sending out emails and posting on social media about writers and books in the region. This new, informal project is still in the works, but you’ll receive more information in a future email.

Wishing you good health and great reading in the days ahead.

Sincerely,

Andrew Engelson
Editor & Publisher
Cascadia Magazine