Hot off the presses

After a long search, Portland State’s publishing program has found a new leader.

Per Henningsgaard, who has a long history in the publishing industry, is the new director of publishing for Ooligan Press, the university’s trade press and publishing program.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Ooligan Press and the publishing program at PSU,” Henningsgaard said. “The achievements of both belie their relative youth, and I look forward to building on this foundation to make Portland State University a top destination for students all across the country who are interested in entering the field, as well as publishers seeking new talent.”

Henningsgaard believes a stronger relationship between the publishing program and the Department of English at PSU is needed to better leverage the expertise that resides in the English department. He hopes to raise the public profile of Ooligan Press in order to secure a more solid financial footing.

“Per’s background in the study of regional publishing will be a huge boon to the program’s curriculum,” said Abbey Gaterud, Ooligan’s assistant publisher and advisor. “As a regional program at a state university, the program and Ooligan Press place a high value on the study and promotion of the literature and ideas of our region, time and place.”

Ooligan Press is a trade publishing house run by students in the Department of English’s book publishing master’s program, where they can apply the skills they have learned in the classroom to the real world.

According to Leerom Medovoi, Department of English chair, the graduate publishing program prepares students for future careers in the field and engages citizenship within printing communities.

“What’s exciting about the program is that students don’t only learn how to publish books, but also about the art, history, culture and politics of books, so they can become thoughtful and active shapers of our culture’s future,” Medovoi said.

Any student can apply for the graduate publishing program, but Henningsgaard said students who are not sure if publishing is their calling can take classes even if their area of study is not related to publishing.

Ooligan was founded in 2001 and has since published 30 titles in fiction, nonfiction and poetry that are distributed internationally.

Ooligan Press accepts manuscript submissions and hosts many public events, such as book launches and the Write to Publish conference throughout the year. Visit ooligan.pdx.edu for more information.