University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

since 1975, Milwaukee-based cream city review has been publishing energetic, raw and beautiful prose, poetry, art and essays. 

The name cream city review  pays tribute to the publication’s home in Milwaukee. Known as “The Cream City,” Milwaukee is the birthplace of the yellow-colored brick made exclusively from clay native to this area. The “cream” bricks, first made in 1835, proved more durable and aesthetically pleasing than the traditional red bricks produced by East Coast kilns, and quickly became Milwaukee’s most characteristic building material.

Cream City Review was started in 1975 by Mary Zane Allen. After working at The Wisconsin Review, she desired a similar literary journal for the creative writing department at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Allen worked with the student union to establish both the magazine and a reading series. Later, the literary journal began operating with the support of UWM’s English Department. Over the years, Cream City Review has continued to publish high-quality literary and visual art due to its dedicated volunteers and loyal following of readers and subscribers. We’re also home to the digital imprints IØ and Cheshire, where we publish work that lives outside of the printed page.

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cream city review

Free submission period for BIPOC writers

Creative Nonfiction

Number of pieces: Please send one piece of creative non-fiction at a time.
Number of pages per piece: Manuscripts should be no longer than 20 double-spaced pages.
Format:  .doc and .docx preferred, PDF accepted.
From the editor: We are open to the full range of creative nonfiction, from the lyric essay through the personal to more topical forms. Whether the through line of the piece is drawn taut by the pursuit of fact or the unfolding of experience or the pull of an image, it is first and foremost language and voice that will draw us in.
We are open to the full range of creative nonfiction styles, from the lyric essay through the personal to more topical forms.
We welcome flash nonfiction submissions (two pieces, up to 600 words each)
CCR does not accept any work that was generated using Language Learning Models (LLMs) or generative AI.
We accept simultaneous submissions, but please withdraw your work here if it is accepted elsewhere.

Creative Nonfiction

Number of pieces: Please submit up to 4 works of unpublished art (work that has not been published in print or selected through a juried process, such as contests). Our artists are often published portfolio-style—if your work is advanced for publication, we may showcase more than one of your pieces.
Format: Image files (JPG, TIFF or PDF), high resolution (300 dpi or better).
From the editor: Please visit our Instagram account to get a sense of the type of work we have published before. In addition to 2D works, we are also interested in documentations of installations, social practice projects, earth art, light art, street art, and maker work. We like text art and asemic writing. We’re open to showcasing artists from anywhere in the world, but be sure to let us know if your work has connections to Milwaukee.
CCR does not accept any work that was generated using Language Learning Models (LLMs) or generative AI.
We accept simultaneous submissions, but please leave us a note in Submittable indicating which works of art you are withdrawing if accepted elsewhere.

Visual Art

FICTION:

Number of pieces: Please send one story at a time.
We love writing that is sharp, cutting, juicy, specific.
Number of pages per piece: Manuscripts should be no longer than 20 double-spaced pages. Please use Times New Roman font.
We welcome flash fiction pieces (two pieces, up to 600 words each).
Format: .doc, .docx or PDF.
From the editors:  What makes a story memorable? We want lingering, emotional stories that rattle our rib cages long past the last line. We want stories that are sticky in our brains for their excellent imagery choices and their smart constructions. We are always in search of stories that bypass obvious shock tactics—graphic violence, in particular—and instead surprise the reader with their insight, their generosity of spirit, and their bravery of expression. And what makes a story energetic? We’re looking for fiction that’s tightly written and well-crafted. We love stories that know exactly why they’re making the decisions they make in form and experimentation, instead of stories that strive for oddness as an end goal. The way you tell the story should be best and only way to tell that story. We can't wait to read; thanks for trusting us with your words.
CCR does not accept any work that was generated using Language Learning Models (LLMs) or generative AI.
NOTE: While we admire and welcome stories that borrow from commercial genres like science fiction and mystery, traditional works in these genres are unlikely to find a home with us.
We accept simultaneous submissions, but please withdraw your submission through Submittable if your work is accepted by another publication.

Fiction

POETRY:

Number of pieces: 5 poems at a time in a single file format. Please use Times New Roman font.
Number of pages per piece: No length restrictions.
Format: .doc, .docx or PDF.
From the editors: We aim to elevate and represent a wide variety of authors and poetics at CCR, and as such especially encourage submissions from poets of color, Indigenous poets,  LGBTQ2S+ poets, and poets with disabilities, in addition to whatever other world-views you bring to your life and work. We like strong, vivid images and language that moves the poem and the poet somewhere and take us with them. We like poems that don’t shy away from feelings, or that work towards an understanding of why we shy away from feelings at all. We like energy in our poems, kinetic and potential, and sometimes both at once. We like and encourage experimentation, and poems whose form enriches the content, not only visually, but aurally as well, so send us your weird ways of thinking, feeling, and being in the world—whether that’s a sonnet or an erasure or a form we haven’t even seen yet.
CCR does not accept any work that was generated using Language Learning Models (LLMs) or generative AI.
We accept simultaneous submissions, but please leave us a note in Submittable indicating which poem(s) you are withdrawing if accepted elsewhere.

Poetry

Cream City Review is pleased to announce we have begun accepting works of translation

  We are generally looking for pieces of translation not previously translated into the English language. If the piece has already been translated, we are looking for a departure of form, style and technique.
  You may send up to  one piece of fiction, non-fiction, or up to five poems.
  Please include the source material in your submission, as well as a one page (100-250 words) translator's note and/or annotated translation document
  Submitter is in charge of acquiring publishing rights or copyright permission from source language author. 
  If accepted for publication, translators should provide a short biography of the source language author.
  Manuscripts should be no longer than 15 double-spaced pages. Please use Times New Roman or equivalent font.
  Format:  .doc and .docx preferred, PDF accepted.
  CCR does not accept any work that was generated using Language Learning Models (LLMs) or generative AI.
 

We accept simultaneous submissions, but please withdraw your work here if it is accepted elsewhere.

Translation (CNF, Fiction or Poetry)

Submission period: 05/15/25-08/01/25
The winner will receive $500, publication in the Spring 2027 issue of cream city review, and an online feature on our website. One runner up will receive publication in an upcoming issue of cream city review.
Entry:
One entry fee includes one free issue to our journal, which is normally $14. If you submit more than one entry, we’ll upgrade you to a one-year subscription, normally $26.
Eligibility:
Any writer of any age, denomination or location is eligible to enter except:
Submission Guidelines:
For more information please consult our website: https://uwm.edu/creamcityreview/summer-contest

Summer Prize Poetry

The winner will receive $500, publication in the Spring 2026 issue of cream city review, and an online feature on our website. One runner up will receive publication in an upcoming issue of cream city review.
Entry:
One entry fee includes one free issue to our journal, which is normally $14. If you submit more than one entry, we’ll upgrade you to a one-year subscription, normally $26.
Eligibility:
Any writer of any age, denomination or location is eligible to enter except:
Submission Guidelines:
For more information please consult our website: https://uwm.edu/creamcityreview/summer-contest/

Summer Prize Fiction

cream city review is dedicated to uplifting the work of writers who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color. We seek to create a space where underrepresented stories and experiences can thrive. By providing a platform for BIPOC creators, we aim to amplify the rich, multifaceted narratives that are often overlooked in mainstream literary circles.From July 1st to July 31st, any writer who identifies as BIPOC can submit to CCR for free.
CCR does not accept any work that was generated using Language Learning Models (LLMs) or generative AI at any point in the creative process.
Fiction submission guidelines:
Number of pieces: Please send one story at a time.
Number of pages per piece: Manuscripts should be no longer than 20 double-spaced pages. Please use Times New Roman font.
Format: .doc, .docx or PDF.
From the editors:  What makes a story memorable? We want lingering, emotional stories that rattle our rib cages long past the last line. We want stories that are sticky in our brains for their excellent imagery choices and their smart constructions. We are always in search of stories that bypass obvious shock tactics—graphic violence, in particular—and instead surprise the reader with their insight, their generosity of spirit, and their bravery of expression. And what makes a story energetic? We’re looking for fiction that’s tightly written and well-crafted. We love stories that know exactly why they’re making the decisions they make in form and experimentation, instead of stories that strive for oddness as an end goal. The way you tell the story should be best and only way to tell that story. We can't wait to read; thanks for trusting us with your words.
NOTE: While we admire and welcome stories that borrow from commercial genres like science fiction and mystery, traditional works in these genres are unlikely to find a home with us.
CNF, Pedagogy, and Essays submission guidelines:
Number of pieces: Please send one piece at a time.
Number of pages per piece: Manuscripts should be no longer than 20 double-spaced pages. Please use Times New Roman or equivalent font.
Format:  .doc and .docx preferred, PDF accepted.
Creative Nonfiction: We are open to the full range of creative nonfiction, from the lyric essay through the personal to more topical forms. It is first and foremost language and voice that will draw us in.
Essays and Pedagogy: We accept essays on the craft of creative writing; the teaching of poetry, prose and/or essays; and academic writing on all things literary. Please note if your work is an essay in the title of the piece and in your cover letter.
Poetry submission guidelines:
Number of pieces: 5 poems at a time in a single file format. Please use Times New Roman font.
Number of pages per piece: No length restrictions.
Format: .doc, .docx or PDF.
From the editors: We aim to elevate and represent a wide variety of authors and poetics at CCR, and as such especially encourage submissions from poets of color, Indigenous poets,  LGBTQ2S+ poets, and poets with disabilities, in addition to whatever other world-views you bring to your life and work. We like strong, vivid images and language that moves the poem and the poet somewhere and take us with them. We like poems that don’t shy away from feelings, or that work towards an understanding of why we shy away from feelings at all. We like energy in our poems, kinetic and potential, and sometimes both at once. We like and encourage experimentation, and poems whose form enriches the content, not only visually, but aurally as well, so send us your weird ways of thinking, feeling, and being in the world—whether that’s a sonnet or an erasure or a form we haven’t even seen yet.
Visual art submission guidelines:
Number of pieces: Please submit up to 4 works of unpublished art (work that has not been published in print or selected through a juried process, such as contests). Our artists are often published portfolio-style—if your work is advanced for publication, we may showcase more than one of your pieces.
Format: Image files (JPG, TIFF or PDF), high resolution (300 dpi or better).
From the editor: Please visit our Instagram account to get a sense of the type of work we have published before. In addition to 2D works, we are also interested in documentations of installations, social practice projects, earth art, light art, street art, and maker work. We like text art and asemic writing. We’re open to showcasing artists from anywhere in the world, but be sure to let us know if your work has connections to Milwaukee.
We accept simultaneous submissions, but please leave us a note in Submittable indicating which works of art you are withdrawing if accepted elsewhere.

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