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Introducing: the first CTW Creative Writing Contest!

Thank you to all who submitted entries for consideration for this year’s issue of City Tech Writer. We are now sending out responses to those whose sponsored work has been selected as finalists.

If you didn’t get a chance to submit anything by the deadline, though, have no fear! Today, we are announcing the first ever CTW Creative Writing Contest!

We will be accepting submissions that respond, either directly or indirectly, to any entry from the 2023 edition of City Tech Writer. The submissions do not need to be sponsored. 

Please see below for contest rules:

  1. Students can submit 1 entry per category in up to 3 of the following categories: Poetry, Fiction, Flash Fiction (100 words max), Drama, Personal Essay, Visual Arts, Writing About Anti-AAPI Discrimination (max 700-800 words)
  2. All entries must respond to an entry from the 2023 edition of City Tech Writer (citytechwriter.com)with the exception of the AAPI category, which should engage with the essay “Many Years After” from the 2022 edition. The submission can explicitly mention the original entry, or it can indirectly respond to specific images, philosophical concerns, or sociocultural topics that the original entry addresses.
  3. If your submission does not explicitly mention the original entry, you must include a 50 word paragraph, at the end of the submission, explaining how your entry responds somehow to the preceding year’s entry.

  4. The entries do NOT have to be faculty sponsored; however, you are advised to consult with a professor or at least a writing tutor before submitting your entry.
  5. Students already tapped for inclusion in CTW 2024 may submit 1 entry in 1 category.
  6. There is no minimum or maximum length for any category other than Flash Fiction (100 words max) and the AAPI category (700-800 words max). However, please use common sense. 75 word personal essays and 50 page novellas alike will likely not make the cut!
  7. For the category Writing About AAPI Discrimination, we are looking for short reflections from AAPI students responding to the essay and accompanying documentary “Many Years After,” found in the 2022 volume of City Tech Writer.

    Sponsored by this year’s AAPI anti-hate campaign, entries in this category should draw attention to how/whether the coronavirus and its aftermath have shaped your understanding of AAPI ethnic or cultural identity.

    A selection of entries will be published as part of a roundtable discussion entry in this year’s volume.

  8. Entries must be received by 5 pm on Wednesday, March 27. Submit by filling out the designated Google Form and uploading to the Dropbox file request, which will be visible on the form’s confirmation page.

 

Happy writing!

Professor Lucas Kwong

Editor, City Tech Writer

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City Tech Writer Presents: 11.9.23

You’re invited to join a virtual panel discussion featuring some of the brightest voices from Vol. 18 of the college’s all-digital journal of outstanding student writing, City Tech Writer!

11.9.23, 3:30-5:30 EST

Online

Register here

Student writers Jaroslav SykoraJudley LericheAlexis Garcia, and Jackie Lespiegle will discuss the process of drafting, revising, and refining their work for a broader audience. Representing the best of fiction, personal essay writing, and critical analysis at the college, they will offer a preview of the kind of work we’re looking for as we take submissions for Volume 19. If you’re interested in attending, register at openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/citytechwriter/events!

 

We’re looking for excellent student writing (from any discipline) to City Tech Writer, Vol. 19, by uploading a Word document or PDF at the submissions page (scroll to bottom). Submissions must be sponsored by the professor in whose class you wrote your submission.

 

The deadline for submissions is November 25, 2023

 

City Tech Writer is a journal of outstanding student writing from ALL disciplines. We’d love to see work in the humanities and STEM alike, representing the full breadth of our students’ stories, research, and ideas.

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Submissions open for Vol. 19

Dear CTW community –

In its fourth year as an all-digital journal, City Tech Writer continues to immerse reader and writers alike in the possibilities of the written word. Once again, you are invited to sponsor submissions for this year’s issue.

 

We’re looking for excellent student writing (from any discipline) to City Tech Writer, Vol. 19, by uploading a Word document or PDF at the submissions page (scroll to bottom).

 

The deadline for submissions is November 25, 2023. We are open to extending the deadline in cases where essays may come in after this date.

 

City Tech Writer is a journal of outstanding student writing from ALL disciplines. We’d love to see work in the humanities and STEM alike, representing the full breadth of our students’ stories, research, and ideas.

Last year we were excited to publish a digital issue that, like the preceding couple of years, boasted a few firsts: the first collection of Spanish language essays; the first to pair student writing with AI-generated images; the first to feature plays from our college’s interdisciplinary course, Theatre of Law. We’d love to have more talented writers join this year’s issue!
CTW-CityTechWriterVolume19_call for submissions (1)
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Introducing CITY TECH WRITER, VOLUME 18!

Dear writers, sponsoring professors, and members of the broader college community,

We had a blast celebrating students’ writing at the Virtual Reception yesterday. Following opening remarks from Provost Pamela Brown and Dean Justin Vasquez Poritz, students read excerpts from their work, after which we collectively toured the new edition of the website!

This marks the third year that City Tech Writer has been available online as an all digital, multimedia issue. This year’s issue includes:

– Audio versions of all pieces
– Supplementary videos for select pieces, including slides for integrating classroom discussion of student work
– Short films from our Communication Design students
– First ever publication of plays from Theater of Law, including images partially rendered with AI-generated technology, which depict how the scripts would translate to the stage
-First ever publication of Spanish language essays, complete with English translation
-Publication of the 2023 Literary Arts Festival Charles Matusik Fiction prize winner, “Fix It,” by Jaroslav Eliah Sýkora
– An annotation feature ideal for use in the classroom
-Outstanding writing from an array of disciplines!

The website exists due to the indispensable work of Professor Atilio Barreda in Computer Systems, who essentially designed this digital forum from scratch.  Special shout out to him for his contribution.

I invite you to peruse the volume to see the ideas, insights, and leaps of imagination that our student writers have to share this year. And I hope you’ll keep your eyes peeled for an array of events this Fall, which will showcase writers from the essay and give them a chance to say more about the writing process. We’ll be holding these events in advance of the 2024 issue, Volume 19!

On that note: submissions to Volume 19 are now OPEN! Please select the above “Submissions” page of the menu to find out more. We are accepting submissions from Spring 2023 as well – so if you’re a student who’s produced something for a class, or a professor who’d like to sponsor a student’s writing, don’t be shy!

Thank you again to Provost Pamela Brown and Dean Justin Vasquez-Poritz for their support, and to our sponsoring professors for upholding our students. Most of all, thank you to our student writers for continuing to give life to the written word at City Tech.

Professor Lucas Kwong, editor

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NEW DEADLINE: November 25, 2022!

Hello CTW community –

With late fall already upon us, the next stage in this year’s CTW submissions is fast approaching. I wanted to let you know that I’d like to extend the deadline for this year’s submissions to November 25, 2022!

Please head on over to the submissions page (if you’re a sponsoring prof or a student who has a faculty sponsor) to submit your work for consideration! https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/citytechwriter/submission-guidelines/

 

best,

Professor Kwong

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Welcome to CTW 2023!

A happy, healthy Autumn to all! Prof. Kwong, editor for City Tech Writer, checking in with former and future sponsoring professors, former and future sponsoring students, and former and future Creative Muses. I wanted to let you know that, in its third year as an all-digital journal, City Tech Writer is still connecting our community with the written word.

Please submit excellent student writing (from any discipline) to City Tech Writer, Vol. 18, by uploading a Word document or PDF at https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/citytechwriter/submission-guidelines/.

The deadline for submissions is November 15, 2022.

 

City Tech Writer is a journal of outstanding student writing. STEM disciplines are especially encouraged to submit. Last year we had an absolutely incredible crop of students who submitted their thought provoking, wildly imaginative, and heart wrenching work. These pieces are supplemented by audio versions of each piece, occasional videos that dive deeper into the text, and in one case, a very special 20 minute documentary about Asian students and professors at City Tech. Check out last year’s issue and get inspired here: citytechwriter.com

Writers whose words are included in City Tech Writer become part of a community that celebrates a year-end virtual reception. These receptions cap off a year of events, such as 2021’s Compose and Collaborate webinar. Check out last year’s reception here: https://youtu.be/u-GpEh8ObUI

Finally, I’m thrilled to announce a new addition to this year’s issue: the Photo Riffs Contest, a chance for student writers to collaborate with one of the talented photographers who contributed to last year’s issue. Unlike the usual CTW process, the entries to this particular contest do not have to be sponsored, but they do need to undergo a process of engagement and consultation with either a Writing Tutor or an English professor. Details here.

Looking forward to seeing your submissions!!

Professor Lucas Kwong

Editor, City Tech Writer

LKwong at citytech dot cuny dot edu

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CTW Vol. 17 out NOW!

Friends and neighbors:
I am supremely honored and excited to send the link to City Tech Writer, Volume 17! As mentioned at last week’s reception, this issue features:
 
-Audio versions of all pieces
-Supplementary videos for select pieces, either analyzing the piece or featuring the voices of students themselves
-The first ever short film to be featured in CTW, “Airpods”
-An annotation feature ideal for use in the classroom
 
Additionally, I am thrilled to have had the chance to supplement student writer Emily Hu’s words with a documentary, “Many Years After,” featuring the voices of Asian students and faculty at City Tech. In their own words, those featured in the documentary reflect on their pasts, presents, and possible futures in the era of COVID-19. I hope you’ll watch and reflect on the stories told in the documentary as we celebrate AAPI Heritage Month.
Thank you to all the writers who made this year’s volume so special. The submissions form for 2023 is now open. I invite professors and/or students to submit work from this semester or during the upcoming fall semester.

 
Best wishes for the end of this academic year and for the summer beyond!
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4.1 Podcast Interview with City Tech Stories; 4.8 Short Film Screening

Dear City Tech community,

April. A month of spring breezes, romance, surging seasonal allergies, taxes, and frenetically catching up on That Course you’ve been avoiding for weeks. What better time than now to tune into the Library’s City Tech Stories podcast and listen to an illuminating discussion about the college’s journal of outstanding student writing!?

Library professors Nora Almeida and Junior Tidal sat down with Computer Science professor Atilio Barreda, student writer Emily Hu, and yours truly (Professor Kwong) to talk about writing as a collaborative process, the inspiration for Emily’s upcoming essay on anti-Asian hate, the difference between writing in the classroom and writing for a general audience, and why Art Deco might be making a comeback. Enjoy listening!

 

When y0u’re done listening, get hyped for this Friday, 4.8 at 11 am, a virtual short film screening and discussion with student filmmaker Alvaro Panozo. His film “Airpods” will be the first short film to ever be featured in City Tech Writer! Audio from our discussion will be incorporated into an exciting interactive feature of the upcoming issue. Register here and listen to an ad for the event here.


 

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CTW 2022 cover art; exciting spring events!

CTW Vol. 17 logo, featuring Art Deco-style icon of pens and pencils crossing over one another against a field of stars.

Dear City Tech community–as the buds begin to reappear on tree branches and the sun starts to peek out a little more, I am thrilled to write with some updates about this year’s issue of City Tech Writer!

FIRST, I’d like to present this year’s winning banner art, courtesy of Communications Design student Amberly Lima! Amberly’s Art Deco-inspired logo captures the sense of possibility, combined with an appreciation of the past, that fuels so much of the writing in each volume of CTW. Just as last year’s issue featured a banner that (literally) took a leap forward in terms of design, we’re excited to bring Amberly’s fantastic design to life for Volume 17.

SECOND, this year’s issue will, for the first time, feature a short film and accompanying script: COMD student Alvaro Panozo’s “Airpods”! To celebrate this milestone, we will be holding a virtual screening and discussion of the scriptwriting process with Alvaro on Friday, April 8, at 11 AM! Register here for a fun discussion of how the written word guides filmmakers as they bring their visions to cinematic life. After signing up, you’ll see a confirmation page with a link to the event – please copy this down. (You’ll receive a follow up reminder with a link, too.)

THIRD, I am compiling audio, video, and/or written text from Asian faculty, staff, AND students who would like to discuss their experiences of discrimination during the pandemic, and/or their reflections on what it means to be Asian during this time. Narrating our experiences can be a powerful way to process trauma from hate-related incidents, or simply to just inform the broader public about the added stresses that have attended the rise in violence against AAPI.

Video, audio, and text will be compiled into a short documentary that will accompany a reflection on anti-Asian violence in this year’s CTW. We’ll screen this mini-doc at an event in May (date TBD).

If you’d like to participate or you know someone who does, please consider sending in your submission or forwarding the submission form: https://forms.gle/hD7YnBG1p1wct2bG6 Please know that you will have the option of either identifying yourself or remaining anonymous in the video.

FOURTH, if you are a finalist for inclusion in this year’s issue, you should have received an email from me with further details. As always, I am deeply grateful to all who submitted work, and it was difficult to make selections. If you didn’t make it in this year, please do not be discouraged! I hope you’ll consider participating in one of our Spring events and celebrating this year’s issue when it finally goes live.

Best,

Prof. Lucas Kwong
Editor, City Tech Writer Vol. 17

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CTW submissions: Now extended to Dec. 5!

Students and faculty–it’s been a long semester, and indeed, a long couple of years. To best serve the community under these circumstances, I’m extending the submissions deadline for City Tech Writer to Dec. 5. Once again, outstanding writing from any discipline is more than welcome–please submit at the “Submit” page of this website, where you’ll find a submission form and FAQ.

To get a sense of the kinds of work we publish, please peruse last year’s inaugural all-digital issue. CST instructor Atilio Barreda and I are excited to continue building on that milestone this year.