Mary Routt Chair of Writing R.O. Kwon writing, teaching, and the experiences she drew on while writing her bestselling debut novel, The Incendiaries, with the Los Angeles Daily News. “For me, with teaching, it’s very much not about trying to evangelize about what I love,” she said. “It’s more about trying to shine a light on what each student might love for themselves, whatever that might be.” In addition to teaching a semester-long course on descriptive writing, Kwon has also hosted conversations with book critic Maureen Corrigan and essayist Jia Tolentino.