Dr. Andy Oler (he/him/his)
Department Chair & Professor
Humanities and Communication
Daytona Beach Campus
Do you remember how you first encountered The New Territory?
I first heard about The New Territory at an academic conference on Midwestern literature, and I was told about this cool, new magazine that was trying to show a different side of the Midwest. I remember being excited about the magazine and feeling like maybe I had found some fellow travelers.
How has working with The New Territory and regional writers shaped Literary Landscapes and Lingering Inland?
Neither Literary Landscapes nor Lingering Inland could have been as successful without the perspective, energy, and connections of The New Territory team. My academic expertise is located more in the northern and eastern parts of the region, so I have always been grateful about how The New Territory has allowed me access to the writers and public humanities workers of the Lower Midwest. Beyond that, participating in pitch meetings has always been energizing because of the way I get to see different ways of telling the story of this region.
Why does publishing regional writing matter to you?
Place matters to the way people live their lives, and it’s important to give humans space to tell their stories—otherwise it’s easy for places and people to calcify into stereotypes.