The MacGuffin

Quality fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and art since 1984

MacGuffin Cover

The MacGuffin, established in 1984, is a national literary magazine from Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan. Our journal is a 160 page 6” x 9” perfect-bound collection of the best poetry, short fiction, and creative non-fiction that we receive. We also have artwork including black and white photos, prints, and drawings. We publish three issues yearly.

What’s a MacGuffin?

Originating in Victorian England, the moving force and sometimes the solution of a work of mystery fiction was referred to as a MacGuffin. Alfred Hitchcock used the term and stated that, “No film is complete without a MacGuffin” because that’s what “everybody is after.” The MacGuffin might be the papers that everyone is looking for, or the ring that was stolen—in short, the MacGuffin is any device or gimmick that gets a plot rolling. The MacGuffin itself has little, if any, fundamental importance, and, according to Hitchcock, is nothing in and of itself.

Editors
  • Steven A. Dolgin, Editor
  • Gordon Krupsky, Managing Editor
  • Carol Was, Poetry Editor
  • Elizabeth Kircos, Fiction Editor
Contests
Submissions and subscriptions
The MacGuffin mission

The mission of The MacGuffin is to encourage, support, and enhance the literary arts in the Schoolcraft College community, the region, the state, and the nation. By fulfilling its role as a national literary journal, The MacGuffin exists to bring national and international prestige to Schoolcraft College and to be the main vehicle for its contribution to literary excellence.

The MacGuffin has six purposes:
  1. To provide opportunities for hands-on literary publication work experience.
  2. To sponsor annual literary events.
  3. To give a voice to deserving newer writers, by publishing their work alongside those of well-known writers.
  4. To provide a vehicle for writers to share their works with a diverse readership.
  5. To provide an opportunity for writers to experiment and innovate.
  6. Attempt to reach as big an audience as possible.
Contact us
Email: macguffin@schoolcraft.edu

The MacGuffin
Schoolcraft College
18600 Haggerty Road
Livonia, MI 48152-2696

Telephone: (734) 462-4400 ext. 5327