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Student Success

The Magid Center is home to the Certificate in Writing program, available on campus and online. The certificate helps students develop a range of highly prized writing skills, including the ability to write clearly and concisely, correctly use mechanics and style, communicate with particular audiences for specific purposes, and overcome obstacles that occur during the writing process.

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Experiential Learning/Professional Skill Building

Home to many student publications and organizations, the Magid Center provides opportunities for UI students to expand their résumés with rewarding and valuable real-world work experiences. From editing to marketing, and from event planning to budget oversight, working with these publications helps our students grow.

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Outreach and Engagement

Iowa is writing, and writing is for everyone. With the Iowa Summer Writing Festival, the Iowa Young Writers' Studio, and the Iowa Youth Writing Project, the Magid Center provides in-person and online workshops that reach youth and adult learners. These non-credit bearing programs have something for everyone.

News and Announcements

Magid Center Director Daniel Khalastchi Named Finalist for Wisconsin Poetry Prize

Thursday, March 2, 2023
Congratulations to Magid Center Director Daniel Khalastchi, who has been selected as a finalist for the Wisconsin Poetry Prize! The University of Wisconsin Press will publish his fourth poetry collection, THE STORY OF YOUR OBSTINATE SURVIVAL, next spring.

The Magid Center Joins New CLAS Engagement Hub!

Tuesday, October 18, 2022
The Magid Center is excited to join the new College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Engagement Hub! The aim of this reorganization is to help "strengthen writing, research, and scientific communication, as well as foster community-engaged scholarship and learning." This administrative move will help The Magid Center "serve more students and reach more people [on campus] and across the state.”

Angie Cruz Announced as 2022-2023 Magid Center Visiting Writer-in-Residence!

Sunday, September 18, 2022
The Magid Center is pleased to announce novelist and editor Angie Cruz as our 2022-2023 Visiting Writer-in-Residence! Cruz will be on campus October 5th-8th and will participate in a public reading at Prairie Lights (5:30pm, Oct. 6th) and a Q&A at the Dey House (10:30am, Oct. 7th).
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Upcoming Events

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Open Mic Night with the IYWP

Wednesday, March 29, 2023 5:00pm
The James Theater
An all-ages open mic night literary event!
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Art & Write Night

Friday, April 7, 2023 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces. Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists. Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each session...
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Write at the Stanley

Sunday, April 23, 2023 3:00pm
Stanley Museum of Art
Join us monthly to generate new creative writing inspired by works in the Stanley collection. Each session will be led by a different talented writer from our area, who will be offering a new prompt and a new approach to ekphrastic writing (writing inspired by visual art). Bring your own notebook and pencil or computer and leave with the beginning of a newly written piece. Co-sponsored by Iowa City Poetry. Teen and adult writers in all genres are welcome. Write at the Stanley meets every fourth...
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