Waldorf Literary Review

Prose Featured

"Child of the False Crown" By Danaijah Carter (1st Place Winner, Top of Iowa 9th/10th Grade - Prose)

Danaijah Carter is a freshman in high school from Mason City, Iowa. She spends most of her time writing or reading a good book. She hopes to one day be a nurse and publish some of her books.   Sounds of swords clanking and swishing filled the battlefield, as hearts of

Spring 2026 Featured

"The Stars are on Fire" By Antonella Marie Rivas (2nd Place Winner, Top of Iowa 9th/10th Grade - Prose)

Sara Antonella Marie Rivas, known as Nella, is a vibrant sophomore at Panorama High School who excels as a writer, competitive dancer, cross country runner, cheerleader, and performer in school plays and musicals. Her creativity flourishes in art classes, and she’s a talented communicator, representing her school in speech

Spring 2026 Featured

"Chronokinesis" By Mairin Weinandt (3rd Place Winner, Top of Iowa 9th/10th Grade - Prose)

Mairin Elizabeth Weinandt is a sophomore at Mankato East High School in Minnesota. She's on the varsity swim team at her school and has always dreamed of writing her own book, or short stories, and often fills her time with reading and writing her way through her life.

Poetry Featured

"No Longer Gold" By Katelyn Scheevel (1st Place Winner, Top of Iowa 9th/10th Grade - Poetry)

Katelyn Scheevel is a sophomore at Fillmore Central High School. When she is not writing, she can be found playing basketball, volleyball, and softball, as well as playing her flute. Katelyn also likes to sew, draw, read, and bake in her free time. You razed my gleaming city of gold,

Spring 2026 Featured

"Threads Between Us" by Izabel Dutcher (Tied, 3rd Place Winner, Top of Iowa, 9th/10th Grade - Poetry)

Izabel Dutcher is a freshman at Mason City High School and a dedicated student-athlete. A former Forest City student, she’s passionate about wrestling, reading, and writing, and is eager to grow and make an impact in her new community. A laugh travels faster than light, bridging the quiet spaces

Spring 2026 Featured

"Home" By Eden Hitchcock (2nd Place Winner, Top of Iowa 9th/10th Grade - Poetry)

Eden Hitchcock is a freshman at Lincoln Highschool in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In her free time, of which she generally has little, she enjoys reading, writing, and playing her ukelele on the roof. She is staring at her dusty hands wondering if they show that she came from dry

Spring 2026 Featured

"Forget Me Nots" By Antonella Marie Rivas (Tied, 3rd Place Winner, Top of Iowa 9th/10th Grade - Poetry)

Sara Antonella Marie Rivas, known as Nella, is a vibrant sophomore at Panorama High School who excels as a writer, competitive dancer, cross country runner, cheerleader, and performer in school plays and musicals. Her creativity flourishes in art classes, and she’s a talented communicator, representing her school in speech

Spring 2025

"Reflections of the Heart: A Journey of Self-Discovery" by Olympia Asche (1st Place Top of Iowa 9th/10th Grade -- Poetry)

Reflections of the Heart: A Journey of Self-Discovery In the garden of whispers, where shadows dance and play, I've often been told by the kind, and the bold, what they see each day. "You are so kind," they say, with warmth in their tone, "A

Spring 2025

"Angus Thickburger: Ghost Detective" by Tanner Smith

I breathe in the dry Monday air in my office, fingertips rattlin’ on the cold desk. That’s the way it’s been, long days bleedin’ into one another. Solvin’ the crimes I do ain’t for the faint of heart, ‘specially when your boss has it out for you

Spring 2025

"Love and Despair" by Amelia Kobriger

Amelia Kobriger, also known as Millie, is a freshman at Waldorf University. She is majoring in Criminal Justice and minoring in art. Amelia is a quiet student and likes to spend her time drawing and playing The Sims. Amelia has won 3 awards in the Top of Iowa Art Show

Spring 2025

"Cookie" by Anna McCluskey

Anna McCluskey is a double major in Theatre Stage Management and Creative Writing. She is so excited to have her works submitted to the Waldorf Literary Review!

Photography

"Petrified Remnant" by Tyler Clouse

Tyler Clouse is in his first year in the master's program at Waldorf and a member of the men's golf team. He enjoys taking photos of various subjects, though he most appreciates being on the sidelines of a football or basketball game.

Spring 2025

"Martha Stewart Asks" by Dr. Suzanne Falck-Yi

[Five Years later, is this poem still relevant? Is it still with us?] Martha Stewart asks, online, Is it safe to leave butter out on the counter? We're in the midst of a pandemic. More Americans are dying every day Than died on 9/11. More people are

Poetry

"Atlassian Composure" by Kai Wilkie

I pick up the slack— chores, bills, the things she drops in her haze. Her promises vanish in clouds of smoke, and I’m left to fill in the gaps she leaves behind. I used to look up to her, used to believe she was the woman I’d become—

Spring 2025

"Sublimation" by Madina Tuhbatullina

Wheels fall off suitcases there I must rest my shadow  abrasive and maladaptive hair  knots above clavicles   a contender grows poppies and calls them belongings a new method of treasuring my absence * The child I will spoil on condition of being an open window like poppy fields in the mountains

Spring 2025

"Stars of Red and Gold" by Kai Wilkie

Kayliegh “Kai” Wilkie, Waldorf senior, zombie-cowboy aficionado, and plant parent to a Venus Flytrap named Twooey, can often be found haunting the library. With an iPad in one hand and a sketchbook in the other, they look like they’re either plotting world domination—or maybe just the perfect doodle.

Spring 2025

"Big Monkey!" by Ryan Kaufman

Ryan Kaufman is a Junior at Waldorf, double majoring in Business Management and Sport Management. He is on the bowling team, being varsity all 3 years. He enjoys taking long drives and relaxing while listening to music.

Spring 2025

"One Light, Two Light" by Kai Wilkie

Kayliegh “Kai” Wilkie, Waldorf senior, zombie-cowboy aficionado, and plant parent to a Venus Flytrap named Twooey, can often be found haunting the library. With an iPad in one hand and a sketchbook in the other, they look like they’re either plotting world domination—or maybe just the perfect doodle.

Spring 2025

"The Thousand Yard Stare" by Anna McCluskey

The shadows that blurred our sightline trained us to asssociate it with danger. Movement fast like the sea; if left behind old allies, now corpses, as weeping civilians cry out and static plays the anthem of our cause. Our sight was tainted beyond belief as blood struck sand.  The minute

Spring 2025

"You Are" by Braden Kane

You are my love, is what I want to say. But no. You and I are clay in each other’s hands. What connects us is clay. Our words; soft touches, our fingers sculpting its essence, its shape. Too little force and there’s no real change. Too much force

Spring 2025 Featured

"I Never Saw god in Church" by Meredith Mulvany

I never saw god in church. I’d look around, kicking my feet in the pew Staring at the rainbows filtering through the stained glass And looking at the people around me Their eyes fixated on the priest Hands swatting sleeping husbands and noisy children Suited men standing proud as

Spring 2025 Featured

"Visions of Vocation" by Dr. Joe Milan

“Once Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn’t know he was Zhuang Zhou. Suddenly, he woke up, and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuang Zhou. But he didn’t know if he

Spring 2025 Featured

Interview with Dana Yost, author of "Free Fall," conducted by Grace Kobriger

What interested you to get into writing? Especially poetry?               I started reading when I was very, very young and writing when I was quite young. I’ve always been fascinated by the written word, by stories and the insights writing can give us. I was a creative writing/literature major

Spring 2025 Featured

"Emotion Coaster" by McKayla Kane

Every day is different. Like the time on a clock, It will change but always go back. Round and round and round. A continuous circle with no ending. Just like emotions. Some days I'm angry. I want to rip off the wallpaper from the wall, Or scream into

Spring 2025 Featured

"Ashes, Ashes, We All Burn Down" by Braden Kane

Everything is made with an end to it. Yet just look at life and the insanity of it simply being possible. Of us being able to see the universe before its inevitable heat death, its collapse via entropy and the coming of an ever-unchanging time. A sea of ash and