Professor Stephen West didn’t start teaching for conventional reasons. “My mom was a seventh-grade English teacher, but that’s not why I wanted to teach English,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to make art, and I think early on I realized that teaching would give me the flexibility and time to be able to make art.”

West, who teaches a variety of writing courses at St. John Fisher University, is deeply committed to fostering both critical and creative thinking in his students. “What I like to do, no matter the course,is get students to think about questions they have to ask about any kind of text they’re encountering or, even more importantly, the world at large,” he explained. “I think if students are invested in a project, whether it’s critical or creative, it’s better.”

He encourages students to find their unique voice, whether through creative writing, research projects, or the intersection of the two. “I don’t actually know how much I can improve someone’s writing,” West admitted. “But I can improve the way they think about it—the questions they ask, the kind of process they engage with. Whether it’s a critical mode or a creative mode, that’s where the growth happens.”

But literature and art give us a way—a conduit, a window—to connect.

West’s teaching philosophy extends beyond the classroom, as he strives to connect students with real-world experiences. He fondly recalled a field trip with a first-year writing class to see the “Wall Therapy” murals in Rochester. “We actually got a bus and someone from ‘Wall Therapy’ to give us a guided tour of the murals and talk about the art,” he said. “To actually go out into the city and see these murals in person, and have someone invested in that project talk to the students, was really cool.”

Similarly, in an honors class, students participated in “Zine Scene,” where they created zines—small, self-published booklets—and attended a zine festival at RIT. “To see students understand that there’s a larger world where people care about these topics as much as I do, and even more, was pretty impactful,” West said.

As the faculty advisor for the student literary magazine “Red Letter,” West advocates for student voices and artistic expression. “What I hope students take away from it is that art matters,” he said. “It’s okay to care about something and share it. That builds community.”

In addition to “Red Letter,” West recently began advising “Soaring,” Fisher’s undergraduate research journal, and hopes to expand its scope. “I want to publish different forms—not just traditional research papers—but also video productions, poster sessions, or work that doesn’t fit a traditional mold of research,” he said.

Outside the classroom, West is an accomplished author. He is currently working on a collection of essays titled “American Ruins,” where he meditates on places that might one day serve as the ruins of American culture. “Each essay explores a location, like the Statue of Liberty or the Mall of America, and considers what it represents,” he explained. “I also bring in meditations on art, writing, and larger questions about climate change, the digital age, and other challenges we face.”

His first book, “Soft-Boiled: An Investigation of Masculinity and The Writer’s Life,” is a creative nonfiction work he published in 2022 based on his experience shadowing a private investigator in West Virginia. “It’s part memoir, part critical and research-based writing,” West said. “It reflects my effort to make sense of people and the world—a theme that inspires all my work.” For more information on Soft Boiled visit his website. 

For West, literature and art provide a vital way to connect and find meaning. “How do you ever really know what someone else is thinking or feeling?” he asked. “You don’t. But literature and art give us a way—a conduit, a window—to connect. It’s like a telephone with a cup and string—it helps us not feel alone, especially when things are bleak.”

Through his teaching, mentorship, and personal projects, West continues to illuminate the power of writing and art, inspiring students to embrace both the creative and critical aspects of their work and their lives.