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!
By: Hannah Lewis This is part two of a four part series in which contributors from our 2019/2020 issues are interviewed on the topic of their published work– in the case of this series, the topics discussed will deal with race and racism. The United States is in the midst of a great awakening and … Continue reading Highlighting Past and Present OAR Contributors–Topic: Race & Racism Part 2
By: Hannah Lewis This is part one of a four part series in which contributors from our 2019/2020 issues are interviewed on the topic of their published work-- in the case of this series, the topics discussed will deal with race and racism. The United States is in the midst of a great awakening and … Continue reading Highlighting Past and Present OAR Contributors–Topic: Race & Racism
By: Hannah Lewis As I sit here trying to type out the beginning of this post, I can’t help but reflect on how alike it sounds to the speech heard by Rufus Scrimgeour in the beginning of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—Part 1: “These are dark times there is no denying. Our world has … Continue reading Tips to Keep You Creating During This Time of Rebirth
As technology continues to gain popularity and improve day by day, it seems that more and more people are turning to eBooks over the traditional paper form. As much as I hate to admit it (preferring paper copies myself) there are quite a few benefits to owning an electronic reading device. So, when you really … Continue reading The Ongoing Battle Between Electronic and Paper Books
Feminist writing/ literature has and continues to be a topic our editors (and readers) love to be immersed in. When I think of writers who embody the term “feminist”, I am always pleased by the fact that my mentally compiled list consists of authors from different generations, backgrounds, races, ethnicities, and of course writing styles. … Continue reading Some of My Feminist Finds
Sometimes, we need to make ourselves have fun. I have a hard time finding time to read recreationally. It’s a common complaint, especially among English majors: “I can’t remember the last time I read something that wasn’t for a class.” It makes sense; of course we don’t want to read in our free time, because … Continue reading Reading for Pleasure as an English Major
The final episode of your favorite TV show is about to air. You've been waiting years for this— years of speculation about the fates of your favorite characters, of your favorite subplots, of who will live and who will die. You've analyzed every scene, every costuming decision, every bit of dialogue, and you are ready … Continue reading In Someone Else’s Sandbox
This past week our editorial team spent a lot of time discussing the content that seems to be missing or quite scarce in the world of reading and writing. We each considered what we would do if we could change one thing about the literary world as it is now. My choice would be centered … Continue reading Using Books to Bring Attention
Personal taste is hard to define. When I ask friends for book recommendations, I often struggle to articulate what I'm looking for, saying, "I can tell you what I don't like, at least." Even after years of this, I haven't come any closer to narrowing it down; I've only learned who to stop asking because I … Continue reading How Do We Know What We Like?
With the rapid rise of ebooks and digital forms of reading, many are asking questions about the future of literature and storytelling. Will print books continue to exist? Is it possible to create impactful, emotionally-charged narratives in an exclusively digital format? Do we have any idea what that could even look like? Well...we just might. … Continue reading Storytelling for the Digital Age
