Writer, Editor, and More

Austin Thornton is a diviner of refined sentimentalism, a modern metaphysical, a possible human, a senior editor at the gothic magazine The Solitude Diaries, and the winner of several scholarships and awards. Poetry, nonfiction, and fiction from this author is featured or forthcoming in PRISM, /temz/, About Place, and elsewhere.

Publications

Poetry:


“C Class license, acquired age 19, and why I never use it” - /temz/ review

“Aerophobia, or Fear of Drafts of Air” - /temz/ review

“Reading George Herbert's "The Collar" made me want to believe in God again” - /temz/ review

"Find Excuses Note to Eat" - Eunoia Review

“3 and 1” - PRISM Magazine

“I have seen god” - PRISM Magazine

“Gas Line” - PRISM Magazine

“Letter from Iowa” - Provost Prize and PRISM Magazine and KBVR-TV

“Lackidaise” - KBVR-TV

“University in Ekphrasis” - KBVR-TV

“Wrapped Around” - KBVR-TV

“Taco Bell Orpheus” - Apocalypse Confidential

“An Ode on Wide Grapes” - About Place Magazine

“Finding Excuses Not to Eat” - Eunoia Review

“How I want to Write” - Active Muse

“Daycare” - Active Muse

“Cycle of Dust” - Gleam: Journal of the Cadralor

Nonfiction:

“A Defense of Authorship in the Age of AI” - PRISM Magazine 

“Queer Love Isn’t Violence” - PRISM Magazine

“The Atrium” - *82 Review

“The Unknowable in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick” - The Solitude Diaries

"A Nuanced Example of the Vampire Trope" - The Solitude Diaries

Fiction:

"Mom Date" - Flash Fiction Magazine

News Stories:

“Roommates shared advice on living in a shared space” - The Daily Barometer 

OSU adopts new strategic plan spanning next six years - The Daily Barometer

OSU green spaces mandated by city law - The Daily Barometer

“OSU justifies raising tuition and student fees for the 2024 - 2025 year” - The Daily Barometer

“OSUs Spring Poster Symposium: What have students done this year?” - The Daily Barometer

“Twists of graduation garb reflect unique experience” - The Daily Barometer

“OSU College of Business giving AI Innovation grants up to 5k” - The Daily Barometer 

Awards and Scholarships

old envelope on a dark background

Provost's Prize (2025)

A very personal poem, and one of my longest, touching on the loss of childhood friendships. See if you can find the poem hidden inside it!

Pieces entered into the Provost Prize competition gun for the biggest creative writing award at OSU--$750

a close-up of some grapes

Writing in Culture Award (2023)

A $100 award typically given to essays, 2023 was the first time a creative piece was nominated for this award--and it won!

"Evidence on the Matter of my Parents; Exhibit B:" is part of an in-progress poem series traversing childhood and parental divorce.

a pen sitting on top of a piece of paper

Sigurd H. Peterson Memorial Scholarship (2024)

The biggest scholarship provided by OSU's School of Writing, Literature and Film. At $5,000, this gratefully covered about half of my final year of schooling.

Awarded by a committee after reading staff letters of recommendation as well as an essay. What I submitted was an extensive, 25-page analysis of the medieval poem, "Piers Plowman," which went beyond the scope of the class it was written for.

Finley Academic Scholarship (2023 – 2025)

The highest GPA-based scholarship offered at OSU, totaling $13,500 for me, this helped solidify my ability to attend and excel in college.

Sue and Fred Schideler Scholarship (2024)

This $2,500 scholarship is awarded for someone with a promising future in a journalism-related field. I earned it through an application process and by working as a journalist for the OSU student newspaper, The Daily Barometer, for a year.

Schwartz Essay (2025)

A $100 award for the best undergraduate essay.

A little-known paper I read while studying Romeo and Juliet discovered a major flaw in almost every edition of the play, a misattributed line of dialogue that changed the driving conflict of the story. Following this reading I developed a theory of what exactly that conflict was. My essay was nominated for the prize by my Shakespeare professor.

Weaver Award (2025)

In my final poetry class I had a daily journal project that turned into several finished poems. One about the day I went to the beach with my dad for his birthday got an honorable mention for the Weaver Award.

green pine trees

About

I grew up on a farm that has gone from overwhelmed by escape-artist animals to a natural sanctuary and back. That was never really my thing, but watching it unfold and finding the time to help run the farm has shaped my sense of responsibility for animals, nature, beauty, and caretaking.

I studied music and Spanish through middle and high school but dropped everything in pursuit of writing when I took my first writing class. Seeking a traditional education in literature to understand this art better, I even switched my degree path from Chemical Engineering and English to English and Creative Writing, and I don't regret it. I've since won several awards and scholarships for my writing, and published works in various journals.

Post-graduation, while I continue writing smaller works and my novel, I'm looking for a job in Portland, where I live with my fiance, Lily.

Diverse Writing Styles

Having explored poetry, fiction, blog-writing, essay-writing, and journalistic writing, I aim for excellence in the many different styles and genres that interest me. I believe each piece should be unique, deep, interesting, but first-and-foremost entertaining. Draw them in emotionally, dramatically, and make them want to think about it longer.

Editing

I was a member of the Creative Writing Society workshops at OSU from my first term to my last, and I spearheaded the creation of a literary club to discuss published literature. Before I even knew what editing was, I knew I loved it. While at OSU, I completed editorial internships with Northwest Review 45th Parallel, Cloudbank Books and PRISM Magazine. My current role as managing editor at The Solitude Diaries is a step up in responsibilities that I am proud to implement.

Career

I've worked as a Work Unlimited Residential Program Specialist, helping to run group homes for disabled people in Corvallis, a student journalist for the Daily Barometer, and as a parking manager for REEF Parking. If you want to know more about my professional experiences, my contact information is at the bottom of the website.

Appearance on KBVR-TV

KBVR-TV's Lyrical Lounge, featuring alongisde the Oregon Poet Laureate, my own poem, "Letter from Iowa," which won the 2025 Provost's Prize for Poetry.

Editing Services by Email

a black and white photo of a pattern

Developmental Editing

$10 base plus $1.5 per page

In-depth developmental feedback to help you shape your narrative and strengthen your story arc.

this is my story, my future

Content Editing

$10 base plus $2.5 per page

Line by line edits to match your language to your goals

Inside Cage

Copyediting

$10 base plus $1 per page

Thorough checks and corrections for spelling and grammar errors

Dedicated, personalized writing support.

Expert editing.

A literary magazine bringing gothic aesthetics to modern writing

Every page beautifully illustrated by graphic designer Abby Louise and Editor in Chief M.W. Adams, The Solitude Diaries continues the tradition of Gothic literature in the modern era, showcasing up-and-coming writers attracted to the morbid and strange in our world.

Managing Editor

My position at The Solitude Diaries requires leadership, attention to detail, and communication. With Editor in Chief M.W. Adams and the rest of the team, I make and execute decisions about design, marketing, selection, and timeline.

Read Here!

Contact Information

austin.richard.thornton@gmail.com