The Cream City Review is a nonprofit, biannual literary magazine established in 1975
by two UWM graduate students along with local poet Wladyslaw Cieszynski. The
publication takes its name from Milwaukee itself, dubbed the "City of Cream Colored
Bricks" in the 19th century. In 1978, the Cream City Review gained the support of
the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and all responsibilities of the Review were
turned over to the English department. Edited and produced entirely by volunteers,
the Review has been funded largely through grants from the Wisconsin Arts Board and
the Bradley Foundation, which has led to continued publication, improved print
quality, and writer compensation. The Cream City Review became a nationally
acclaimed literary review, featuring fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, comics,
reviews of contemporary literature, and criticism, as well as author interviews and
artwork. Showcasing writers, artists, and independent scholars from around the
world, while dedicating time to local and community writers as well as more
mainstream individuals, the Cream City Review is devoted to publishing memorable and
energetic pieces that push the boundaries of literature.
