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

11/24/2025

Are the rumors that Damien Weaver is a brilliant and energetic SWLF instructor true? Characterize him for yourself in the next lesson in our literary terms video series, which premiered today over on our YouTube channel. Spoiler alert: yes, he really is that good.

What is characterization and how can it be analyzed in literature? What are some examples of direct and indirect characterization in literature and everyday...

09/25/2025

Congratulations to SWLF Instructor Marcos Norris on the publication of his new essay collection, Hemingway and Posthumanism for Edinburgh University Press! As Hemingway scholar Larry Grimes writes, "Rarely do you find a breakthrough anthology. This is one. Norris and Hediger provide a lucid introduction to posthumanism. They assemble a diverse collection of fine essays which demonstrate the relevance and freshness of this approach to both Hemingway the man and his works." The collection includes essays by Norris and two other SWLF faculty members: John Larison and Ray Malewitz. Find out more here:

Hemingway and Posthumanism

09/22/2025

Whether it is your first welcome week at or your 20th, here's hoping you find ways to see rather than simply know our beautiful campus. Learn more about in our new lesson for the Oregon State Guide to Literary Terms video series, which is now live on our YouTube site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aplG3ia8mA

08/19/2025

If the future belongs to AI, what skills do we need to develop now? This video explains why writing classes might not be obsolete, but more crucial than ever. It's the final installment in our student guide for AI in college writing: https://youtu.be/e6KBeWz_Ip8

08/06/2025

What's more important when you write: being efficient or getting exercise? This video describes the AI techniques that support each, along with their benefits and drawbacks. It's the third installment in our student guide for AI in college writing:

This video explains the uses of AI that can spur (rather than replace) the writer's thinking and skill, along with the benefits and drawbacks of more common ...

07/22/2025

We can distinguish "BS jobs" by imagining the impact on society if they disappeared. Where does that leave the job of writing in an AI age? This video kicks off a series offering guidance to students about using AI in college writing courses:

This video articulates the question at the core of the AI controversy in writing classes: Is learning to write still worthwhile? It opens a series of videos ...

05/14/2025

Learn more about SWLF Instructor Cleavon Smith's fascinating journey from the Naval Academy to the Theater Arts in our latest "SWLF Story," now available on our main page:

By Colin Bowyer on April 29, 2025 How playwright and College of Liberal Arts instructor Cleavon Smith’s literary passion became his life’s adventure Image Cleavon Smith By Selene Lawrence, CLA Student Writer - May 7, 2025 Cleavon Smith has always been a writer, even before he knew it. His revere...

04/15/2025

HUGE congratulations to SWLF MA student Vanessa Garcia Vazquez, who received the Scholars for the Dream Award during last week's annual Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCCs)! The conference is the largest and most prestigious gathering of its kind in the world, and we are so proud to have Vanessa represent us there!

04/10/2025

SWLF Senior Instructor J.T. Bushnell was featured in a story about AI writing in today's Washington Post! Check it out here:

Em dashes have been derided as the “ChatGPT hyphen” — a punctuation mark overused by artificial intelligence. That’s not quite true.

11/12/2024

It is now official! SWLF is proud to co-sponsor the Society for Literature, Science & the Arts' annual conference in 2025. The international event will be one of the largest arts and humanities conferences ever to be hosted by Oregon State University. College of Liberal Arts - Oregon State University

08/26/2024

How can climate change make us feel uncanny? Brittni Wisner (MA '24) delivers the final lesson in our summer mini-series, which features Grist Magazine's author M. Jesuthasan's story "When We Are Ruins, Dance Upon Us."

How does climate change render our everyday environments uncanny? How does Freud's notion of the supernatural uncanny relate to the environmental uncanny? Ho...

08/12/2024

How do literary settings change in our era of changing climate? MA student Case Pharr explains using examples from Barbara Kingsolver's novel Flight Behavior. Check out the 4th video in our new series here:

How does climate change alter our understanding of settings in storytelling? How can you spot these changes in cli-fi? In this short video, MA student Case ...