KWH-affiliated student activities
Bent Button Productions
- Type of activity: TV / film production
- Intro Video: Watch here!
- Contact: bentbuttonpro@gmail.com
- Instagram: @bentbutton
- Facebook: Bent Button
- Twitter: @bentbuttonpro
- Description: Bent Button Productions is a student-driven community at the University of Pennsylvania developed in order to learn, practice, and teach all aspects of film production. We are writers, actors, cinematographers, and editors. Our process begins with an idea and ends with an audience, encompassing three stages: screenwriting, filming, and editing. Our weekly meetings are a space for creativity and collaboration, and a showcase for student work.
Bloomers
The Body Electric
- Type of activity: Poetry writing workshop
- Contact: Meg Gladieux
- Facebook: Body Electric Poetry
- Instagram: @upennbodyelectric
- Description: The Body Electric is an inclusive space of cool people who like poetry. We span all years, all majors, all interests, and all identities. We love to share our poetry with each other in super chill, low stress workshop sessions. Come if you write poems, read poems, like poems, or want to know more about poems!
- Other info: To get links/info for meetings, join our GroupMe! We love new friends!!
Curiouser
- Type of activity: Speculative fiction writing group
- Contact: Héctor Cruz
- Facebook group: here!
- Description: This is a generative and discussion writing group for prospective science fiction, horror, and fantasy writers. If you are a writer of speculative fiction or your writing has a speculative element, you will fit in.
- Other info: Everyone is welcome. We are a pressure free zone. This is not a critique group. Yet, if you want to meet other writers or advanced your writing, we are the group for you.
DoubleSpeak
- Type of activity: Literary translation journal
- Contact: staff@doublespeakmagazine.org
- Website: www.doublespeakmagazine.org
- Facebook: Penn DoubleSpeak
- Instagram: @doublespeak.mag
- Description: DoubleSpeak is the University of Pennsylvania’s only journal for literary translation and the only literary translation journal in the country run by undergraduate students. Founded over a decade ago, our annual (print and online) journal celebrates a range of languages and cultures through thoughtful curation of poets across centuries and around the world. We publish translations of poems both little-known and internationally beloved, from a profound variety of languages and dialects.
- Other info: No prior foreign language or translation experience is required. We welcome students of all backgrounds and experiences who have a love for literature, language, and community!
The Excelano Project
- Type of activity: Spoken word group
- Contact: Erin O'Malley & Ollie Dupuy
- Facebook: Excelano Project
- Instagram: @excelanoproject
- Twitter: @excelanoproject
- Description: The Excelano Project is the University of Pennsylvania’s first and premiere spoken word group. Performing on campus and having competed at the national level, The Excelano Project has made a name for itself. In 2007 and in 2009 we had the pleasure of taking home the College Union’s Poetry Slam Invitational title. Our poets have been featured at the White House, on HBO, at the famous Nuyorican Poets Cafe, on Broadway, and all around the world.
But EP goes beyond the poetry; we are a family. This group is about finding voice.
- Other info: Excelano centers and celebrates the voices of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ poets!
Equilibria
- Type of activity: Art + writing exchange magazine
- Contact: pennequilibria@gmail.com
- Facebook: Penn Equilibria
- Instagram: @pennequilibria
- Description: Equilibria is a student-run publication that explores the collaborative relationship between visual and literary arts. We facilitate an art-writing exchange, where artists and writers in the undergraduate community are paired with one another. After swapping an existing work, they create a new piece inspired by the one they receive. We aim to unite students across creative forms, regardless of their background.
- Intro video: Watch here!
Fiber Arts Circle
- Type of activity: Knitting, crochet, yarn, and other fiber arts
- Contact: Emily Truong
- Description: The Kelly Writers House Fiber Arts Circle is an intentional space for students and community members to share, learn, and feel supported in their fiber arts practices (no experience necessary!). Knitters, crocheters, weavers, macrame artists, needlepointers, cross-stitchers, etc. - all are welcome.
The F-Word Magazine
- Type of activity: Magazine of feminist writing
- Contact: upennfword@gmail.com
- Website: www.upennfword.com
- Facebook: UPenn F-Word
- Instagram: @fwordmagazine
- Description: The F-Word is a feminist literary magazine that publishes
biannually. We define feminism as the demand for the equality of all people, regardless of gender,
sexuality, race, ethnicity, or religion. We believe that feminist art can be a powerful driver of
positive social, political, and cultural change. We aim to provide a platform for women, queer people,
people of color, and other ethnic and religious minorities to share their voices with the world.
We accept submissions for our print magazine on a rolling basis, publishing in the fall and spring.
We also accept pitches for our blog at any time.
The Hellologue
- Type of activity: A collaborative writing project
- Contact: Ted Davis
Hot Knife
- Type of activity: Music magazine
- Contact: hotknifemag@gmail.com
- Description: Hot Knife is a new digital literary magazine focused on,
inspired by, and enamored with music, publishing a mix-merging of literary nonfiction and music
criticism, personal essay, art, and experimental work. Contact hotknifemag@gmail.com to join.
Impact Magazine
- Type of activity: Publication / magazine about social impact
- Contact: pennimpact@gmail.com
- Description: IMPACT magazine is a publication focused on social impact issues and welcomes those with all interests and from all disciplines!
Check out our past work here.
La Vida
The Moviegoer
- Type of activity: Improv writing group
- Contact: Maya
- Instagram: @onthespotpenn
- Website: www.onthespotpoems.com
- Description: A typewriter. A randomly chosen prompt. And ten minutes on the clock.
On The Spot does "improv writing," an exercise where strangers supply our writing topics then we quickly type up flash fiction or a poem for them while they wait. We meet these strangers in parks, at farmers' markets, or on Locust...
...so COVID has clearly changed things. This semester, we're keeping the ten-minute creative writing for strangers part and ditching the in-person part.
It's quick, it's creative, and (most importantly) it's fun!
- Other info: Looking to foster a STRONG social bond despite being off campus this year, so sign up if you're looking for creative, like-minded friends!
Penn Appétit
- Type of activity: Food writing magazine
- Intro Video: Watch here!
- Contact: pennappetit@gmail.com
- Website: www.pennappetit.com
- Facebook: Penn Appetit
- Instagram: @pennappetit
- Description: Penn Appétit is for anything and everything related to food. Through the year, we publish eye-catching magazines, host events with high profile restaurateurs, and trek through Philly and beyond for the greatest food finds. Be a part of our magazine by being a writer, photographer, designer, or recipe developer! If you want more hands-on experiences, you can help us plan a new host of events, establish relations within the food industry, run our food blog, or volunteer directly in the Philly community, to name a few.
The Penn Review
- Type of activity: Literary journal
- Contact: pennreview@gmail.com
- Website: www.pennreview.com
- Facebook: Penn Review Lit Mag
- Instagram: @thepennreview
- Description: Founded in 1951, The Penn Review is the oldest continuously published literary magazine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Devoted to the literary and visual arts, we publish original poetry, fiction, creative
nonfiction, and visual artwork, and feature a blend of emerging and established voices
in our biannual print and online publication. In our seven-decade history, we’ve published
works by William Carlos Williams, Allen Ginsberg, e. e. cummings, and Jennifer Egan,
among others.
- Other info: The Penn Review welcomes anyone who is interested in learning more an participating in the creation of a lit mag. No experience is necessary in order to join.
The Punch Bowl
- Type of activity: Humor magazine
- Contact: thepunchbowl@gmail.com
- Website: https://pennpunchbowl.com
- Description: Founded in 1899, The Pennsylvania Punch
Bowl is Penn’s oldest and funniest satire magazine, both online and in print. Branches include
writing, graphic design, marketing, and video. To join, email thepunchbowl@gmail.com and/or bribe the
editors with $5,000,000 in PunchCoin (The Punch Bowl's cryptocurrency that’ll take off any day now).
Q-INE
- Type of activity: LGBTQ+ interest magazine
- Intro video: Watch here!
- Contact: qinemag@gmail.com
- Website: https://qinemag.wixsite.com/penn
- Facebook: Q-INE Mag
- Instagram: @qinemag
- Description: Q-INE (pronounced "queen") is Penn’s LGBTQ+ interest magazine. We aim to showcase writing, art, photography and much more giving Penn’s queer community an outlet for expression and a platform for interests and concerns. We accept submissions from the entire Penn LGBTQ+ community: undergraduate, graduate, or staff.
- Virtual Experience of Q-INE: via Issuu
Quake Magazine
- Type of activity: Sex and sexuality magazine
- Contact: quakemagpenn@gmail.com
- Description: Quake embraces sex, body, and queer positivity.
Our magazine uses literature, photography, design, and other art forms to facilitate the appreciation
of bodies, relationships, sex, and love of all kinds. We strive to explore these themes in a
respectful, inclusive, and artful space which is welcoming to all identities. We are a space for
people in their wholeness. In seeking honest sharing, we value confidentiality above all else and
will strive to be equitable and trustworthy in our appreciation for different stories.
Speakeasy
- Type of activity: Monthly open mic night
T-art
- Type of activity: Magazine about art, design, technology, and culture/li>
- Contact: info.tartmagazine@gmail.com
- Website: t-artmagazine.com
- Instagram: @t_artmagazine
- Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/g4KFhH
- Description: t-art magazine is a multidisciplinary, student-run
publication that explores the intersection of art, technology, and culture. Based at the University
of Pennsylvania, t-art brings together artists, designers, and innovators within the Philadelphia
community and beyond. In addition to our digital and print publication, we provide unique
opportunities on and off campus by organizing exhibitions and group visits to artist studios,
galleries, and other creative spaces. Learn more about who we are on our
website http://t-artmagazine.com, and contact us at
info.tartmagazine@gmail.com
Wharton International Business Review
- Type of activity: Business and economics magazine
- Contact: fashley@wharton.upenn.edu
- Website: www.whartonibr.com
- Facebook: Wharton International Business Review
- Description: We are the only undergraduate print publication based at the Wharton School. We publish once per semester with each issue focusing on as many geographic regions of the world as possible, all centered around a specific theme. Articles are written by our fellow undergrads but we also feature interviews with international business executives, professors, innovators, and other influential people. With every issue, we strive to present a global vision of the business world with individual focuses on economics, international relations, and politics. We are always looking for talented writers, editors, and designers to work on both our print issue and our exclusively-online article series.
- Other info: We recruit from all Penn schools, not just Wharton. Every semester we hold pitches for Print articles as well as group discussions about our online articles. In the past, we have held journalistic writing workshops and other events aimed at Penn freshmen and new writers. We hope you will join us!
The Kelly Writers House Zine Library
- Type of activity: Zine library
- Contact: kwhzinelibrary@gmail.com
- Description: The KWH Zine Library is located on the second floor of the Writers House. Started in 2017, the collection has grown to include zines from all over and from all kinds of creators, with a special focus on Philly zines and, this summer, on zines by Black creators. Apart from curating, we also host workshops about once a semester and fund student zine proposals.
- Digital Zine about the Zine Library: Read PDF!
