Tag: Poetry

Iron Pen 2025 Results / Info for Awards Ceremony on 3/22

Posted on by Ryan Collins

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in Iron Pen 2025. We received many terrific entries, and our excellent judges— Kristin DeMarr (nonfiction), Peter          Hadlandsmyth (fiction), and Jacob Duncan (poetry), who are last year’s winners in each category—had very difficult decisions to make in their evaluations and wonderful things to say about so much terrific writing. We appreciate everyone’s time and talents in making this year’s contest one of the most competitive we’ve ever had.

Without any further ado, here are the winners of the 2025 Iron Pen Contest, by category…

Iron Pen 2025: Rules, Info, Prompt Announcement 

Posted on by Ryan Collins

Thank you all very much for participating in the fastest writing contest in the Midwest! We appreciate your writing courage & quick imagination, and we look forward to seeing all of your terrific submissions. 

Before we get to the prompt (which will also be available via phone on the MWC’s outgoing voice message at 309-732-7330, via the home page and the Iron Pen page on the MWC website, and on our Facebook page), a few guidelines and other important bits of information:

Fleshed Out: An embodied writing & movement workshop

Posted on by Ryan Collins

This workshop aims to connect minds to bodies and encourage self-empowerment. Our bodies are our homes and in our daily lives, we are forced to separate body from mind. In this two-part, one-day workshop, we will get to know our bodies and connect our creative lives to our physical lives.

Through a holistic and empowered lens, burlesque performer Mary Quite Contrary will lead participants through one hour of burlesque movements that will connect sensuality to the day-to-day. There will be a water and snack break, following which, writer Sarah Elgatian will follow with a writing practice that uses the body as a grounding space for our physical work.