Grinnell has a vibrant creative writing scene. There are many published writers on campus--faculty, staff, and students. There are also a number of published writers living in town. The College regularly brings in prominent authors to give workshops and readings. Among these prominent authors have been recipients of major awards: Nobel Prizes, Pulitzer Prizes, National Book Awards, and MacArthur Fellowships. Grinnell's proximity to Iowa City, site of the prestigious University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, makes it an easy stop on the reading train, as authors with newly published books often arrange a mini Iowa circuit. (Our location also allows Grinnellians to zip into Iowa City to catch a famous writer who, for whatever reason, can't make it to Grinnell.) In addition to the many professional readings--some six or seven a semester--there are all sorts of student readings and open-mike sessions. Each semester culminates with a formal reading from the Grinnell Review, the College's undergraduate creative writing journal. Students are eligible for annual prizes in fiction and poetry; these prizes come with generous monetary awards and are announced at the spring Grinnell Review reading.