This morning I sent in the last edits to the page proofs for NDQ 86.1/2 (2019). This is a pretty exciting thing because this issue marks our full partnership with the University of Nebraska Press. This means that individuals can subscribe to via UNP’s new web portal and buy (at least one) back issues. They’re also in charge of most of the production of NDQ, although we continue to manage submissions and copy editing from our office on the campus of the University of North Dakota. 

As part of their responsibilities for publication, they design our covers, and for the last two issues, they’ve given us a few choices prior to printing from which to select. 

For issue 86.1/2 we are lucky enough to have a fantastic image from renown photographer Michael Eastman of Bill Gass’s study. Since this volume features a series of tributes to Bill Gass, this is an appropriate image for the cover. The versions proposed by UNP ranged from the standard white background to a version in teal. While the editorial board preferred, by a narrow margin the more conventional white cover with photograph:

There was some enthusiasm for the teal version:

I actually like the teal version because it evokes an earlier tradition of colorful covers used in 1975 and 1976 in volumes 43 and 44. Click the covers to see these archival volumes. 

86.1/2