Ostrom is Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Puget Sound, where he teaches composition, creative writing, rhetoric, and literature. He has written, edited, and coedited a number of books, including Metro: Journeys in Creative Writing, A Langston Hughes Encyclopedia, and Colors of a Different Horse: Creative Writing Theory and Pedagogy. He is also the author of a book of poetry, Subjects Apprehended, and a novel, Three to Get Ready.