Press Release

October 26, 2021 | By Jahnavi Bathina

Creative Writing Conversations

Ohio Wesleyan Professors Amy Butcher, David Caplan to Present at Free Nov. 9 Event

Amy Butcher

DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University professors Amy Butcher and David Caplan will read from their latest books and discuss OWU’s creative writing curriculum in a free forum.

Butcher and Caplan, both faculty members in Ohio Wesleyan’s Department of English, are the creative writing director and co-director, respectively, at the university. They will speak from 4:10-5:10 p.m. Nov. 9 in the Bayley Room on the second floor of OWU’s Beeghly Library, 43 Rowland Ave., Delaware.

Butcher, M.F.A, is the author of the forthcoming “Mothertrucker,” which tells the story of Alaskan truck driver Joy Wiebe as it explores the issue of intimate partner violence. Publisher’s Weekly calls Butcher’s book “tender and gripping,” stating, “[Mothertrucker] explores myriad issues with nuance and grace, including Indigenous rights, violence against women, religious hypocrisy, and environmental concerns.”

David Caplan

Caplan, Ph.D., is the author of seven books including Into My Garden,” which explores life in a Chassidic yeshiva, an institute for the study of Jewish texts. One reviewer describes the publication as “a book of devotional poems that speaks poignantly, often heartbreakingly, to the believers and nonbelievers of our present moment.”

In addition to reading from their works, the Ohio Wesleyan faculty will discuss the creative writing curriculum and upcoming opportunities with new and current students.

As a creative writing major, OWU students explore and develop writing techniques by studying many different writing forms, including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwriting. Upper-level students have the opportunity to specialize in a genre of writing in rigorous, advanced genre-specific workshops.

Learn more about creative writing and the Department of English at Ohio Wesleyan owu.edu/English.


Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature program, The OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives” and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “Best Colleges” lists. Learn more at owu.edu.