Kirsten Reach enjoys working “in a small town that’s famous for running ten minutes late, on a hill surrounded by beautiful countryside.” Reach herself exudes a pensive calm, an impression that’s heightened by the quiet of her spacious office in an old house in the middle of the Kenyon College campus.
The aura of tranquil isolation is deceptive. When Reach, a 2008 graduate of Kenyon, returned to Gambier, Ohio, three years ago to work for the Kenyon Review, she brought with her a burgeoning literary network rooted in noisy New York and extending, via cyberspace, across countries and cultures. Now, as KR’s new fiction editor, she’s drawing on that network—and continually expanding it—to make sure that, more than ever, the diverse voices of contemporary literature find a home in the Kenyon Review.
“One of my priorities is reaching out to writers who have never thought to submit to KR before and who haven’t published in journals before,” says Reach, who assumed her new duties this summer.
That goal reflects a vision of expansiveness that Editor David Lynn sees as essential to KR’s mission. “There’s more great work being written today than ever before,” observes Lynn. “I see the role of fiction editor less as a gatekeeper than as a treasure hunter. ‘Gatekeeper’ raises the image of editors standing guard, keeping the hordes out. KR is not about keeping writers out but discovering fabulous new talent.”
In pursuit of that vision, Reach will build on the work of Caitlin Horrocks, who stepped down as fiction editor in part because of the demands of teaching, family, and her new novel, The Vexations, forthcoming in 2019 from Little, Brown.
“We’re all grateful to Caitlin, who did an absolutely superb job,” says Lynn. “I’m pleased that she’ll remain on KR’s advisory board, reading some submissions and helping to identify new writers.”
For Reach, meanwhile, the transition has been easy, given her immersion in KR. Since returning to Kenyon from New York—where she was one of three editors at the Brooklyn-based publisher Melville House—Reach has helped to shape almost every facet of KR’s work, from editing for the magazine and KROnline, to interviewing authors, to planning new initiatives like Kenyon Review Out Loud. She oversees social media, including Twitter (with more than 44,000 followers), Facebook (more than 10,000), LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Relentlessly curious as a reader, Reach follows numerous journals and literary websites—a small sampling would include A Public Space, Tin House, One Story, Cabinet, and The Offing. When she discovers striking work or finds herself regularly reading pieces by a particular writer, she’ll get in touch. “I write fan letters,” she laughs. The connection may spawn other connections—and eventual publication in KR.
Reach will be working with guest editors and consulting editors to bring the Kenyon Review increasing numbers of fresh voices. (See separate story in September Newsletter.) At the same time, she’ll keep an avid eye on the “slush pile” during the September 15-November 1 submission period. Among the thousands of unsolicited manuscripts that KR receives, gems always turn up.
A good editor must lavish “time and attention” on reading, Reach feels. Close reading is vital, especially when a piece is almost, but not quite, there. She loves the process of working with writers at the level of individual scenes, lines, and words. “You have to learn your way through the rooms of each piece, and try to imagine what the author wants. I’m always grateful when that works out.”