While I drink my iced coffee and walk my dogs in this fine spring weather, the world is shifting around me in unsettling and marvelous ways. With the haphazard flourishing of dandelions comes the equally-haphazard (yet heartening) flourish of ideas to combat climate change. There is the continued bloom of the #MeToo and #BLM movements, … Continue reading The Newest Issue of OAR Has Arrived!
Author: Oakland Arts Review
The Oakland Arts Review is an international journal of undergraduate writing and art.
Characters and Characterization
Let’s talk character! Two quotes attributed to F. Scott Fitzgerald are “Character is plot, plot is character” and “Action is character.” Sure, we can’t all create Gatsby in the context of Gatsby, but that’s not the point or the objective. The objective is to create a character that flows within the context of whatever story … Continue reading Characters and Characterization
On Being a Writer Who Doesn’t Write: Yes, It Is My Fault, And Here’s What I Can Do About It
Writers who don’t read or write aren't uncommon. You find them in the overworked, under- caffeinated college student, in the exhausted stay-at-home mom. You’ll even find one in me, an editor for a college literary magazine. Writers who don’t read or write are perfectly common.
How To, and Why You Should, Write About Terminal Illness
One of the most beautiful features of fiction is that it can speak to experience. A well written piece on terminal illness can positively impact readers.
Announcing the 3rd volume of the Oakland Arts Review!
Hello readers! I know you've all been waiting on the edge of your seats for Vol. 3 of the Oakland Arts Review to finally arrive.
Check out our new ad!
We're excited to have placed a 1/2 page ad in the upcoming October issue of Poets and Writers magazine, which has a circulation of over 10,000 people. Teachers and students, share the ad widely!
2018-2019 Hajja Razia Sharif Sheikh Prizes in Nonfiction and Poetry
Cash awards to be given to the best piece in each genre that addresses the experience of being Muslim in America.
What Is Good Writing?
Recently, the editors of the Oakland Arts Review sat down and we discussed what good writing meant, to us at least. So, what is good writing? I’m not going to sit here and pretend to know what the answer to that questions is because I think it varies from person to person. What I think … Continue reading What Is Good Writing?
Age, As a Delimiter
Age is a funny thing. It is something that many people don’t think about until they begin to feel it, either physically or metaphysically. Getting ready for bed a few nights ago, I said to my husband, “I’m writing a blog.” He says, “Oh yeah?” I say “Yeah, and it’ll be posted to the magazine’s … Continue reading Age, As a Delimiter
Using University Writing Centers as a Creative Writer
Many writers go to university writing centers for help with academic writing, such as essays and assignments for classes, but what about creative writing? Writing centers, like the Oakland University Writing Center (OUWC), provide an invaluable resource to writers looking to improve their ability and their papers; however, many writers may not consider that the … Continue reading Using University Writing Centers as a Creative Writer
