Prairie Schooner

Prairie Schooner is a literary magazine published quarterly at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with the cooperation of UNL's English Department and the University of Nebraska Press. It is based in Lincoln, Nebraska and was first published in 1926. It was founded by Lowry Wimberly and a small group of his students, who together formed the Wordsmith Chapter of Sigma Upsilon (a national honorary literary society).

Although many assume it is a regional magazine, it is nationally and internationally distributed and publishes writers from all over the United States and the world.

Prairie Schooner has garnered selections and honorable mentions in the Pushcart Prize anthologies and various of the Best American series, including Best American Short Stories, Best American Essays, Best American Mystery Stories, and Best American Nonrequired Reading.

Editors

Prairie Schooner's current editor (from 2025) is Timothy Schaffert, novelist and Adele Hall Professor of English and director of creative writing at the university.

Previous editors

2011-2025 Kwame Dawes

1987–2011 Hilda Raz

1980–1987 Hugh Luke

1963–1980 Bernice Slote

1956–1963 Karl Shapiro

1926–1956 Lowry Wimberly

Notable contributors

Glenna Luschei Fund and awards

In 2001, the magazine and its editorship were endowed in perpetuity by poet and literary philanthropist Glenna Luschei under the Glenna Luschei Fund for Excellence at the University of Nebraska Foundation. In addition to funding the magazine and its special projects, the endowment funds one $1,500 Glenna Luschei Prairie Schooner Award and ten $250 Glenna Luschei Prairie Schooner Awards every year. The Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry is run by the African Poetry Book Fund in partnership with Prairie Schooner and is also named for and funded by Glenna Luschei.

Raz-Shumaker Prairie Schooner Book Prize

The Raz-Shumaker Prairie Schooner Book Prize is an American literary award presented yearly since 2003, one award for poetry and one award for fiction.