Matthew Cashion, a creative writing professor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, has spent nearly two decades building both a career and a community centered on storytelling, collaboration and student growth.
“I came here in 2006 from North Carolina, so I am finishing up my 20th year here, which is hard to believe,” said Cashion.
Since arriving at UWL, Cashion has taught a wide range of writing courses, though his primary focus remains creative writing. His classes span introductory and advanced levels, exposing students to multiple genres and approaches. This range of courses reflects both his versatility as an instructor and his background in multiple forms of writing.
“I was hired to teach creative writing classes primarily, but I also teach a wide range of other writing classes,” said Cashion.
Cashion’s path to academia began with an undergraduate degree in English, followed by early professional experience in journalism.
“I finished my undergraduate degree in English at UNC Charlotte and then after that, I actually worked two years as a reporter at a daily newspaper, where I learned a lot about how to write [and] that was a very useful experience for me,” said Cashion.
He later pursued a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing, where he refined his craft through intensive writing and feedback.
“After that I applied to grad school and went to the University of Oregon for a Masters of Fine Arts and creative writing, an MFA it’s called, which is a terminal degree in creative writing,” said Cashion.
Before settling in La Crosse, Cashion gained teaching experience across multiple institutions, including a visiting professorship. He navigated a series of jobs while continuing to pursue teaching opportunities.
“After grad school I worked for a year as a bartender and then got a job in North Carolina, back at UNC actually, I was a visiting professor there for two years,” said Cashion.
Then from there, Cashion went on to teach at a community college for seven years. That experience allowed him to further develop his teaching style while continuing to build his writing career. However, he was on the search for a junior track position that would allow him to specialize in creative writing.
“UWL was hiring around that time, came here for a campus visit, met some nice people, and my wife and I decided it would be a good spot for us. It has been a very supportive environment, we’ve come to love the area quite a lot,” said Cashion.
At UWL, Cashion has played a key role in shaping the creative writing minor, helping cultivate a collaborative environment for student writers.
“My colleague [William] Bill Stobb, and I oversee the creative writing minor here, so that’s been rewarding to see how our creative writing minor has developed. We formed what we think of as a nice community of writers and readers, who are providing good support for each other in an encouraging kind of environment,” said Cashion.
Part of that experience includes hands-on publishing opportunities. Every spring, students can enroll for English 320, which is the literary production and publication course. There, they take on roles as editors and readers of the literary journal Steam Ticket.
“I am the faculty advisor for that. We get submissions from writers all over the world, and then the students evaluate the submission, and decide what should be accepted or what should be rejected,” said Cashion.
There is another magazine that’s for students called The Catalyst, which is also student run.
“[The Catalyst] is primarily devoted to publishing student work, and the work of people in the community, which is a good thing. Steam Ticket publishes work from people all over the world. And this year, we are publishing volume 29. It’s been in existence for 29 years, which is pretty remarkable,” said Cashion.
Cashion emphasizes the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and the broader creative community at UWL.
“That’s another cool thing, sometimes we get to collaborate with other departments like art, and theater. It’s been exciting being here too, for those reasons, being in a community of creators, people who are interested in art and writing and reading,” said Cashion.
“I’m consistently encouraged by the level of passion and commitment and discipline the students show toward writing,” said Cashion.
Cashion mentioned, this is even more encouraging now, in the age of AI. Students are still mostly interested in creating their own, unique, individual pieces of work, and art.
“Students are still proving to me very much that there’s a desire to create, and a need for a supportive community of like-minded artists and writers who encourage each other,” said Cashion.
Central to his teaching approach is the workshop model, where students share and critique each other’s writing in depth.
“My classes are rewarding because we do a lot of workshopping, where students share their work with the entire class, and the entire class gets to focus on that piece of work, for maybe 30 minutes or so, and gives the writer substantial feedback. It’s encouraging but also challenging, which in my experience, students are receptive to hearing that kind of feedback,” said Cashion.
Cashion believes studying English and creative writing as your major or minor offers both professional and personal advantages, preparing students for a range of careers while enhancing their everyday lives.
“I think the professional benefits have to do with recognizing that a lot of employers value creative individuals. They value the idea of innovation, and creative problem solving, and spontaneity and just creative thinking,” said Cashion.
“These are things we try to do in our creative writing classes, it’s not just about writing all the time, it’s about ways to train ourselves to be better creative thinkers. Which people can apply in whatever jobs they end up getting, it will be attractive to employers,” said Cashion.
“There are also many personal benefits, I think [it helps us be] better creative thinkers, and [be better at] training our imaginations to be more nimble. It helps our personal and professional relationships, and it increases our quality of life. I think it makes us more aware of the beauty in the world,” said Cashion.
In addition to teaching, Cashion is an accomplished author, recently celebrating the release of his latest work, titled “How We Do Things Here.”
“My fourth book came out. I had a little release party at the Pump House. It was a collection of short stories,” said Cashion.
He has written two novels and two collections of short stories titled, “How We Do Things Here,” “Our 13th Divorce,” “Last Words of the Holy Ghost” and “How the Sun Shines on Noise.”
Through his teaching, writing and mentorship, Cashion continues to shape the next generation of writers while contributing to a thriving literary culture at UWL.
