Anne Virginia Koepp

Oakwood is an annual literary and art magazine that invites students to enter their creative writing. The next issue will be published in time for the SDSU Great Plains Writers’ Conference on March 29.

Students from all colleges were invited to submit work for consideration last fall through the end of first semester for fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry and artwork categories.

“This year we had 40-60 submissions,” said Steve Snyder, chief editor for creative non-fiction.

The entries are selected by an editor for each category, along with a group of undergraduate journalism and English department students.

“It’s a very democratic process,” said Snyder.

Students don’t win a monetary prize for being published, but it is a great opportunity to express their work.

“It is a way for writers to get their feet in the water and learn about how the whole editorial process works,” said Snyder. “It’s a way for people to get to see what you do.”

Oakwood began in 1976 through the work of English professor David Evans. Initially, Oakwood featured work from students and local writers, but now is dedicated only to students’ work, according to the SDSU Web site.

Oakwood is published in the area and copies can be picked up by student writers on campus.

For more information, check out the Oakwood page on the SDSU Web site, or join the Facebook group.

As far as the topics go, anything is game.

“The topics are as wide as what students go through daily. They connect with something,” said Snyder.

Although entries are closed for this year, it is never too early to start getting creative for next year.