• <a href="/live/image/gid/4/width/650/93281_PlaywritingFest21_Facetune-051221-36_bySkylarVayda.JPG" class="lw_preview_image lw_disable_preview" tabindex="-1"><picture class="lw_image lw_image93281"> <source type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 500px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/4/width/500/height/479/crop/1/93281_PlaywritingFest21_Facetune-051221-36_bySkylarVayda.rev.1647375530.JPG 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/4/width/500/height/479/crop/1/93281_PlaywritingFest21_Facetune-051221-36_bySkylarVayda.rev.1647375530.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/4/width/500/height/479/crop/1/93281_PlaywritingFest21_Facetune-051221-36_bySkylarVayda.rev.1647375530.JPG 3x"/> <source type="image/webp" media="(min-width: 501px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/93281_PlaywritingFest21_Facetune-051221-36_bySkylarVayda.rev.1647375530.JPG 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/93281_PlaywritingFest21_Facetune-051221-36_bySkylarVayda.rev.1647375530.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/93281_PlaywritingFest21_Facetune-051221-36_bySkylarVayda.rev.1647375530.JPG 3x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" media="(max-width: 500px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/4/width/500/height/479/crop/1/93281_PlaywritingFest21_Facetune-051221-36_bySkylarVayda.rev.1647375530.JPG 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/4/width/500/height/479/crop/1/93281_PlaywritingFest21_Facetune-051221-36_bySkylarVayda.rev.1647375530.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/4/width/500/height/479/crop/1/93281_PlaywritingFest21_Facetune-051221-36_bySkylarVayda.rev.1647375530.JPG 3x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" media="(min-width: 501px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/93281_PlaywritingFest21_Facetune-051221-36_bySkylarVayda.rev.1647375530.JPG 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/93281_PlaywritingFest21_Facetune-051221-36_bySkylarVayda.rev.1647375530.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/93281_PlaywritingFest21_Facetune-051221-36_bySkylarVayda.rev.1647375530.JPG 3x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/93281_PlaywritingFest21_Facetune-051221-36_bySkylarVayda.rev.1647375530.JPG" alt="Students participating in the Playwriting Fest 2021. Photo by Skylar Vayda BA '24." width="720" height="690" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/93281_PlaywritingFest21_Facetune-051221-36_bySkylarVayda.rev.1647375530.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/93281_PlaywritingFest21_Facetune-051221-36_bySkylarVayda.rev.1647375530.JPG 3x" data-max-w="3200" data-max-h="2400" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a><div class="hero-split_image_caption collapsable-caption"> Students participating in the Playwriting Fest 2021. Photo by Skylar Vayda BA ’24.</div>
  • <a href="/live/image/gid/4/width/650/93288_PEO-C1a-0421-0008.jpg" class="lw_preview_image lw_disable_preview" tabindex="-1"><picture class="lw_image lw_image93288"> <source type="image/jpeg" media="(max-width: 500px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/4/width/500/height/479/crop/1/93288_PEO-C1a-0421-0008.rev.1647385694.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/4/width/500/height/479/crop/1/93288_PEO-C1a-0421-0008.rev.1647385694.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/4/width/500/height/479/crop/1/93288_PEO-C1a-0421-0008.rev.1647385694.jpg 3x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" media="(min-width: 501px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/93288_PEO-C1a-0421-0008.rev.1647385694.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/93288_PEO-C1a-0421-0008.rev.1647385694.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/93288_PEO-C1a-0421-0008.rev.1647385694.jpg 3x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/93288_PEO-C1a-0421-0008.rev.1647385694.jpg" alt="When your campus is this pretty, it's easy to find inspiration for your creative writing!" width="720" height="690" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/93288_PEO-C1a-0421-0008.rev.1647385694.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/93288_PEO-C1a-0421-0008.rev.1647385694.jpg 3x" data-max-w="3200" data-max-h="2136" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a><div class="hero-split_image_caption collapsable-caption"> When your campus is this pretty, it’s easy to find inspiration for your creative writing!</div>
  • <a href="/live/image/gid/4/width/650/94357_20220304-_Creative_Writing_Event_-06.jpg" class="lw_preview_image lw_disable_preview" tabindex="-1"><picture class="lw_image lw_image94357"> <source type="image/jpeg" media="(max-width: 500px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/4/width/500/height/479/crop/1/94357_20220304-_Creative_Writing_Event_-06.rev.1652817977.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/4/width/500/height/479/crop/1/94357_20220304-_Creative_Writing_Event_-06.rev.1652817977.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/4/width/500/height/479/crop/1/94357_20220304-_Creative_Writing_Event_-06.rev.1652817977.jpg 3x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" media="(min-width: 501px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/94357_20220304-_Creative_Writing_Event_-06.rev.1652817977.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/94357_20220304-_Creative_Writing_Event_-06.rev.1652817977.jpg 2x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/94357_20220304-_Creative_Writing_Event_-06.rev.1652817977.jpg" alt="Creative writing reading at an Arts@LC First Friday event in Watzek Library. Photo by Nadav Ben-David BA '25." width="720" height="690" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/4/width/720/height/690/crop/1/94357_20220304-_Creative_Writing_Event_-06.rev.1652817977.jpg 2x" data-max-w="2138" data-max-h="2136" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a><div class="hero-split_image_caption collapsable-caption"> Creative writing reading at an <a href="/fine-arts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arts@LC</a> First Friday event in Watzek Library. Photo by Nadav Ben-David BA ’25.</div>

We have one of the longest-standing creative writing programs in America—over 50 years old. We ask our creative writing students to consider these questions: What is a literary heritage, both here in America and around the globe? What is the poem today? The short story? The personal essay? Where will the future of creative writing take us? While creative writers often major in English, our students also come from majors as varied as art, biology, psychology, and music. Our faculty members have been recognized for excellence in teaching and have won some of the country’s most prestigious writing awards. We invite you to see if you agree, with Flaubert, that “the art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.”

“Out of the quarrel with others we make rhetoric; out of the quarrel with ourselves we make poetry.”

William Butler Yeats

Close up of people writing on paper.

Arts@LC

Explore all of our conservatory-caliber fine arts offerings and the ways you can enhance your artistic passions, no matter your major.


  • You are never too late or too early to dive into creative writing at L&C. The program welcomes new writers and even more established creative writers. You will learn more about yourself whether writing is your passion or just play.

    Coral Rose Sunshine BA ’22
    Psychology | Monterey, California
    More about Coral
  • Creative writing has always been a source of joy in my life. Both of my majors (theatre and English) are based in stories, so learning how to write a good story will contribute well to the academic disciplines I’m invested in.

    Niels Truman BA ’22
    Theatre and English (double) | Aurora, Oregon
    More about Niels
  • Mathematics, like English, is a language, albeit with a different set of rules. I’m thankful I had the encouragement and endless support from both departments to carve out my own academic niche.

    Justin Howerton BA ’21
    English and Computer Science and Mathematics (double) | Memphis, Tennessee
    More about Justin

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