Snyder helps guide student writers at OSU-OKC

Snyder helps guide student writers at OSU-OKC

Monday, February 2, 2026

Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City English professor Michael Snyder wears a lot of hats on campus - from advising Honors students to mentoring creative writers - but at the heart of it all is his love of literature.

"Teaching is a beautiful thing because you get to work closely with other human beings, and you get to help them develop their skills not just as writers, but as critical thinkers and communicators," Snyder said.

The development of those skills is ultimately very personal.

"I think the whole experience of going through a course, especially in person, is this one-on-one interaction that I get to experience with the students that come to my office or students that I'm working with in the classroom," he said. "I like the human dynamic of it - working with young people and older people, learning about their experiences and backgrounds."

Those experiences and backgrounds are key to the writing process. Each student in Snyder's class is encouraged to pull from their experiences when developing their writing style.

"Writing, to me, should be self-expression. It should have style, it should have grace, it should be a reflection of who the person is and draw from their experience," he said. "Writing should be evocative. It should set up scenes, it should create feelings and emotions. And that's what I really try to emphasize - that my students write in a way that's personal and draws from their lives and experiences."

But you can't only be influenced by your own experiences. You need to see what writers before you have shared with the world, as well. Snyder sees reading as inseparable from writing.

"You also have to read. And I think that's a big thing. You have to be a reader, you have to love books," he said. "One great way to become a good writer is just to read, and you imbibe style, you imbibe diction. You internalize it, right?"

Outside of the classroom, Snyder advises Writers' Haven, a student club focused on cultivating a safe, energizing space for creativity. The group sponsors events, including a scary storytelling competition around Halloween, and provides space to write and discuss during club meetings. A poetry slam is in the works for the spring semester.

"It's a mutually encouraging writers' group trying to promote writing and creativity in the community," he said.

Snyder also serves as Honors coordinator, where students can propose Honors projects or work with their professors to develop additional projects for an Honors credit. Accruing 15 hours of Honors credit opens up opportunities for cash and other prizes and honors.

And this spring, Snyder is also helping restart the Native American Student Organization with colleague Dr. Teri Ferguson. Interested students are encouraged to reach out.

Snyder's books include biographies of Osage writer John Joseph Mathews and contrarian playwright and novelist James Purdy. The immersion required to craft a biography echoes what Snyder encourages his own students to do, on a smaller scale.

"It's interesting to look at lives as a whole," Snyder said. "Writing about someone's life broadens your perspective. It makes you more philosophical, and it makes you reflect on your own life."