BorderLore is a monthly online journal documenting, sharing, and elevating folklife in the borderlands region (Arizona, New Mexico, southern California, southern Utah, west Texas, and northern Mexico), seeking what is often “hidden in plain view.” By celebrating the “embellished ordinary,” we hope to connect people across culture, tradition, and geography.
BorderLore is published by the Southwest Folklife Alliance (SFA), an affiliate non-profit organization of the University of Arizona, housed within the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and the designated Folk Arts Partner of the Arizona Commission on the Arts with the support of the National Endowment of the Arts. SFA’s mission is to build more equitable and vibrant communities by celebrating the everyday expressions of culture, heritage and diversity in the Greater Southwest.
Got a story you want us to tell? Send ideas to KimiEisele@arizona.edu
Editor: Dr. Maribel Alvarez
Managing Editor: Kimi Eisele
Previous issues of BorderLore are archived here.
The study and documentation of folklife involves the accurate representation of people’s viewpoints in their own terms; quotes and opinions expressed in interviews with individual tradition bearers do not necessarily reflect the sentiments and opinions of BorderLore editors, the Southwest Folklife Alliance or any specific person or entity at the University of Arizona.
Write for us
We accept pitches from writers and photographers working in the Southwest. Please familiarize yourself with our focus areas. We are particularly interested in stories about culture and heritage outside of Tucson. We also love first-person narrative essays linking personal folklife to larger themes. We pay for stories. Send all pitches to KimiEisele@arizona.edu
Currently seeking pitches for:
ARTIFACT: Got a favorite object? A traditional artifact? A complex thing or concept? We’re looking for short personal or reported essays (900-1500 words) for our ARTIFACT section. Tell us a story about something that connects you (or doesn’t!) to culture, tradition, heritage, or folklife in the Southwest or US-Mexico border region. To understand what we’re looking for, read past ARTIFACT stories here. You can also surprise us! Please pitch us first, explaining your idea, why it’s a fit, why you’re the one to write the story; also include links to past writing samples. (Pay starts at $300)
Cover photo: Cáit NíSíomón