Exciting news!

The Birch has just launched a blog to cover events relevant to Eastern Europe and Eurasia. A lot of the events will be on the campus of Columbia University or in New York City, but we encourage any students abroad or at other institutions to contribute content.

Visit www.thebirchjournal.blogspot.com and e-mail thebirchjournal@gmail.com if you are interested in contributing to the blog.

We are also excited to announce that the Winter 2009 issue is now online!

About The Birch

The Birch, which derives its name from the national tree of Russia, acts as a forum for undergraduate students across America to publish both creative work and critical commentary regarding Eastern European and Eurasian politics, history, art and literature. The journal allows undergraduates with an interest in Eastern European and Eurasian studies to communicate with others who share that interest.

The Birch, which is published during the fall and spring semesters, consists of three main sections.

creativity

This section is a forum for students to publish creative writing (poetry, prose, creative nonfiction, short stories) related to the culture in the region.

criticism

This space allows students to publish essays on Russian literature or philosophy. It is also home to The Birch's book review section. The content for this section usually consists of an essay or essays adapted from those submitted in language or comparative literature classes. Writers may also elect to write an essay separate from any class.

culture and politics

In this portion of the journal, we publish articles detailing a political, historical, social, or economic event or trend in Russia or in another post-Soviet country. Students may express their opinions in these articles, but the articles maintain a formal style. The section may also include articles about Eastern European and Eurasian pop culture, music, and film.