
Let your First Words be earthwords
Our Mission
earthwords: the undergraduate literary review showcases the best literary and artistic endeavors of students attending the University of Iowa. Our publication provides its staff with the experience of producing a literary magazine in real-time by ethically reading, selecting, and supporting the work and authors found in every issue. The earthwords team is committed to broadening its accessibility, empowering our community, and promoting equity and justice for underrepresented voices. Although the team, style, and length change every year, earthwords’s dedication to promoting the diverse array of undergraduate creative works is a constant.
Our Vision
By publishing our yearly review, we help undergraduates connect to Iowa City’s vast, and often intimidating, literary legacy. As home to the Iowa Writer’s Workshop and as a UNESCO City of Literature, Iowa City could not be a more relevant artistic center for undergraduates interested in writing. earthwords seeks to provide venues in which undergraduates can share their writing in a public setting; we offer both curated Undergraduate Showcase readings and various Open Mics throughout the school year. In our Showcases, we partner with creative writing instructors (often graduate students or recent graduates of the Workshop) who select undergraduates whom they believe best represent what is outstanding about creative writing at UI. Our Open Mics allow community members to come forth and express themselves to an audience of fellow writers and lovers of literature.
Through our publication arm, we offer a sleek, professional journal that students can show to their families, friends, and potential employers as evidence of their writing talent. By incorporating an industry-standard submission process and setting our expectations accordingly, we offer undergraduates a professional submissions experience; this is invaluable for providing young writers with the skills and insight they need to stand out amongst their peers in the world after graduation. We also provide our contributors the experience of being able to read at Prairie Lights bookstore during our Book Drop event. Prairie Lights is a venue frequented by professional writers of all disciplines and arguably one of the most prestigious reading venues in the Midwest.
Students of diverse talents and backgrounds comprise our editorial board. As a part of the earthwords team, a student staff member undertakes an internship-esque opportunity in preparation for the real world experience of working on a literary magazine. We congregate weekly, and staff work together to seek submissions, publicize events, and develop creative ways to reach out to new readers and writers alike. Through partnering with other organizations (such as Ink Lit Mag, English Society, and Studio Video Productions) and local businesses (such as Prairie Lights and Molly’s Cupcakes), we forge bonds with our community, and in doing so, earthwords becomes a thread that knits the city and the university together. As a guiding principle, we seek to build pride in our community and ourselves.
Our Values
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Excellence
To highlight the best work across all creative disciplines
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Integrity
To remain true to our community and ourselves
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Collaboration
To partner across department and interest
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Community
To build a sense of belonging and foster relationships
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Accountability
To hold staff answerable for their actions and teach real-world responsibility

Masthead
2024-2025
Issue 45
Publisher:
Daniel Khalastchi
Executive Editor:
Sophia Considine
Managing Editor:
Elana Walters
Public Relations:
Anna Ottavi
Maggie Militello
Disha Patel
Event Coordinator:
Lily Giddings
Assistant Event Coordinator:
Noa Zapin
Book Designer:
Elizabeth Sloan
Web Editor:
Beth Hendricks
Art Editors:
Ella Davis
Victor Garza
Ava Neumaier
Emily Veksler
Drama Editors:
Angela Boateng
Rachel Sorensen
Charice Salazar
Miya Swenson
Fiction Editors:
Mackenzie Kanach
Kelsey Ortner
Dani Withrow
Chloe Lomas
Nonfiction Editors:
Amritha Selvarajaguru
Nithya Myneni
Madeline Riske
Briana Bohling-Hall
Poetry Editors:
Jenna Schmitt
Katie Henry
Kathryn Schultz