The journal Ninth Letter was created by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Creative Writing Program as it forged a relationship with the School of Art and Design. Together they developed a visual entity that explores how literature, design and other visual arts can work together to not only heighten the power of the written word but also expose a new visual vocabulary. Ninth Letter believes that literature and art reflect an ongoing dialogue. Nothing is created in a void, therefore, stories, poems, essays, visual arts and other forms of expression all speak to and reflect one another. The design aims to illuminate themes in the journal that might not be obvious at first, giving readers the opportunity to contemplate writing and art in new ways.
This project is designed predominantly by undergraduate graphic design students. Ninth Letter therefore provides students with the experience of working on a professional project with actual deadlines and client expectations while they are in school.

Ninth Letter is published biannually and has a companion website: www.ninthletter.com