School of Writing, Literature, and Film at Oregon State University

07/10/2024

Heat waves related to climate change haven't only stressed our energy grids. They've also stressed the way we tell stories. MA grad Jackson Cooper shows us how narrative arcs change in our era of changing climate in this new lesson.

How does climate change alter our understanding of typical narrative arcs? How can you spot these changes in cli-fi? In this short video, MA student Jackson...

06/14/2024

To celebrate the end of the term, we're proud to debut the first video in our new video series "The Oregon State University Guide to Climate-Change Literature." Hear MA student Georgia Wright's lesson on here:

What does Cli-Fi mean? What are some examples of Cli-Fi? In this short video, MA student Georgia Wright uses the Childish Gambino song "Feels Like Summer" t...

05/22/2024

Did you miss Robin Wall Kimmerer's talk at Oregon State University last Friday? See the full Stone Award Lecture, "Returning the Gift: the nature writer in a time of climate catastrophe," at the following link:

Best-selling author and scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer delivers the Stone Lecture at Oregon State. The Stone Award recognizes major American authors with bodi...

04/11/2024

The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Bernard Malamud spent a decade as an instructor at Oregon State. “It was an amazingly good time in his writing life,” said his daughter, Janna Malamud Smith. “We always carried, all of us, a love for Oregon.”

Now, a generous gift from the estate of Malamud’s son, Paul Malamud, who died in 2022, and organized by his daughter, Smith, will support the OSU College of Liberal Arts’ distinguished writing program. It establishes the first endowed faculty position in the School of Writing, Literature and Film, adds to an existing scholarship, and creates a visiting writer endowment.

“I personally believe that student debt is a way to really curtail human liberty,” she said. “I just hope it makes some students’ and some faculties’ lives slightly easier.”

03/04/2024

What is a ? Hear Senior Instructor Sam Schwartz's answer here. Hint: it isn't a protein powder, but you will see serious gains if you try it.

What is a Bildungsroman? What are its origins and characteristics? What are some common examples of the Bildungsroman?In this short lesson, Senior Lecturer...

02/05/2024

OSU MFA student Bec Ehlers stars in our new terms video "What is ?" Check out the lesson here or head over to our YouTube channel for the full video: https://youtube.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLSa-y67lQA

What is the Young Adult Literature? What are some of YA literature's common themes and characteristics? How does YA differ from adult or mainstream literatu...

01/03/2024

How can the simple act of identifying the climax of a story help students build strong literary arguments? Check out the following free (OER) lesson, which uses Yiyun Li's short story "A Thousand Years of Good Prayers" as its primary text. Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2024!

What is the climax of a story? What are some examples of climaxes in literature? Why are climaxes important in literary essays?In this short lesson, Profes...

10/03/2023

We are proud to welcome 8 new MA students and 12 MFA students to our fully-funded graduate programs. Smart, goofy, and incredibly talented, they bring an energy to Moreland Hall that lights up our classrooms and hallways. Here's to two great years!

10/01/2023

SWLF Emeritus Professor Tracy Daugherty's new biography of Larry McMurtry is featured on the front page of today's New York Times Book Review!

09/29/2023

"In this beautiful debut novel..., an 18-year-old budding writer tackles questions of faith and filial duty in 1981 Texas." Read more of Publishers Weekly's review of SWLF poet-in-residence David Biespiel's forthcoming novel here: https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781622882441?fbclid=IwAR0nV0phITQcFYGpU8qabk0mxVxRvtYZT-V9fJ_xO0P12qk4DNcyHa14g-c

09/27/2023

Please join us for a “Welcome Back” celebration at the Moreland Hall East Lobby tomorrow at noon! SWLF Advisors Liddy Detar and Anna Gayle will be on hand to answer questions, offer tours, share upcoming events, and, we hope, distribute lemon bars.

09/25/2023

We're so excited to start the new term on Wednesday, and we can't wait to see our new and returning students back in Moreland Hall!

09/21/2023

Huge congratulations to Senior Instructor Rob Drummond, who was awarded the Isabelle Brock Memorial Outstanding Instructor Award at CLA Day 2023! Richly deserved!

09/19/2023

Congratulations to SWLF Professor Ray Malewitz, who won the International Service Award at Oregon State's University Day 2023!

09/18/2023

Hi, learners and teachers! We've just added 5 new Spanish translations to our literary terms series: , , , , and . Check out all 68 of our Spanish language transcripts here: https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/la-guia-de-terminos-literarios-de-osu

09/13/2023

Spread the word! SWLF invites applications for an Assistant Professorship in Multi-Ethnic American Literature beginning Fall 2024. Check out the full posting here: https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/143522

09/11/2023

SWLF Prof Ehren Pflugfelder gently mocks English professors in the latest Guide to Literary Terms video: "What is a Parody?" Wait, is he talking about us???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izMt9fcAzno

08/28/2023

Are you in need of a literary term to enhance your mood and develop your understanding of SWLF faculty? Looking to keep things brief? Senior Instructor Kristin Griffin is here to help with her "What is a ?" lesson.

What does vignette mean? How does it differ from flashbacks or anecdotes? What functions do vignettes serve in literature? What is an example of a vignett...

07/31/2023

What is ? We predict you'll enjoy Visiting Prof Paweł Frelik's 5 answers in the next video in our series! Wait...no predictions. Thanks to American Studies Center, Warsaw University and College of Liberal Arts - Oregon State University for supporting our new faculty exchange!

How is science fiction defined? Does SF predict the future or does it enhance our understanding of our present problems and opportunities? Is it simply a lit...

07/17/2023

We just reached 25K subscribers on our YouTube channel (the world's most popular English Department channel)! To celebrate, we're offering this silly, behind-the-scenes look at our recording process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znkQFGJV9dU

07/14/2023

SWLF Associate Professor Tekla Bude has just been awarded the International Piers Plowman Society Anne Middleton Book Prize for her monograph Sonic Bodies: Text, Music, and Silence in Late Medieval England (Penn Press)! Congratulations, Tekla!

06/06/2023

Happy Week 10, SWLFpack! Join us in congratulating our recently promoted faculty. We're so incredibly proud of all of you!
Peter Betjemann: Full Professor
Tekla Bude: Associate Professor
Rob Drummond: Senior Instructor II
Sam Schwartz: Senior Instructor I

06/03/2023

SWLF is proud to collaborate with Oregon State University and College of Liberal Arts - Oregon State University to produce a feature-length documentary on the work of former National Geographic Editor-in-Chief Chris Johns, and his daughter, environmental journalist Louise Johns. Check out the trailer here!

The Wonder and the Worry is an environmental documentary film currently in production and slated to debut in Spring 2024. The film follows the careers of Chr...

06/03/2023

After a year-long hiatus, the School of Writing, Literature and Film is back on Facebook! Learn about what we've been up to in the interim in our Spring Newsletter: