Creative Writing Archive

We are thrilled to announce the three winners in each category—creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry—of the 2019-2020 Young Authors Writing Competition, hosted by the English and Creative Writing Department of Columbia College Chicago! Our judges selected the winning entries...
After a demanding spring, we are delighted to announce the ten finalists in each category—creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry—of the 2019-2020 Young Authors Writing Competition! It was an immense challenge to choose the finalists from hundreds of extraordinary pieces...
Impressions on Hair by Emily Tian Animals shed. Garter snakes moult upwards of forty times in a lifespan, their past selves gone white and crepey like pantyhose. Cats leave their hair carelessly where you’d least expect: hidden corridors, bedroom...
Eat Bitter (Sweet) by Kate Li In Chinese, there’s a phrase for undergoing hardship: “Chīkǔ,” or, literally, “eat bitter.” Surprisingly enough, the connotations of “chīkǔ” aren’t negative. When you overcome a great ordeal, for example, people say you know...