Ian Clark

BA, English and Philosophy, University of Portland

MPhil, Irish Writing, Trinity College Dublin

PhD, English and American Literature, Washington University in St. Louis

Dr. Clark began working in writing centers while serving as writing center coordinator of Roosevelt High School in Portland, Oregon, where he focused on developing programming to support juniors and seniors applying for college and scholarships. He returned to tutoring at WashU as a graduate fellow while completing his PhD in English literature. His teaching and research interests include twentieth century Irish, British, and postcolonial literature, with a particular focus on tracing the connections between literature, landscapes, and identities. He currently teaches in the College Writing and in the First-Year Ampersand programs.   

What brought you to The Writing Center?

I’ve always seen the writing process as a conversation, an opportunity to share ideas with others and learn from different perspectives. The Writing Center fosters this kind of conversation and, in the process, turns a process that’s often scary or intimidating into a welcoming, inclusive opportunity to share your exciting ideas and learn from others.   

What do you like most about working with writers in The Writing Center?

As a literary scholar, I spent a long time specializing in a pretty specific area of study. At the Writing Center, however, I get to work with students studying so many different, exciting disciplines. In no other place would I get to talk to students about med school applications, engineering research, a psychology lit review, and a literary analysis essay in the same day. I feel so lucky that my job entails getting out of my comfort zone and learning new things.

What challenges you most about writing?

Getting started. I’ve spent so much time staring at blank pages, freaking out because I have no idea what I want to say or how to get any eventual thoughts down on the page. I’ve learned that the best way to tackle this challenge is to just force myself to start writing and stop worrying about whether it’s good enough. Silencing that inner critic and allowing yourself to just get the writing process started is, to my mind, one of the most important skills any writer can learn.

What advice do you have for writers?

Don’t be worried if you find writing challenging. Often, I find that my students assume that some people are just “good writers,” and that these people are able to put their thoughts on the page perfectly with little struggle. I can say with confidence that no such writer exists. All writers, even those with extensive experience, struggle to find the right words. That’s just part of the writing process, and there’s no need to feel anxious about something that all writers experience.