The country’s best undergraduate literary magazine celebrated its latest edition with song, stand-up, a cappella and sketch comedy. R2: The Rice Review’s student editors organized and emceed the Oct. 2 Open Mic Night in the Grand Hall of the Rice Memorial Center.
Ian Schimmel, associate teaching professor of English and creative writing who has led R2 for more than a decade, took the mic to explain the evening’s purpose and invited six members of this year’s staff up to the stage to be recognized.
In May, R2’s 2024-25 edition won the Association of Writers and Writing Programs’ top honor for undergraduate literary magazines. The journal also won in 2015 and finished as runner-up in 2025. Founded in 2004 by novelist and writer-in-residence Justin Cronin, R2 publishes work created by Rice undergraduates.
“In that sense, this latest award highlights not just the strength of our writers but the rigor, care and discernment of our student editors who are identifying, developing and elevating this work,” Schimmel said when the award was announced.
Editors review every submission anonymously, and current Rice undergraduates can submit written work and visual art for the next edition before a January 2027 deadline.
