June 2021

Ted Mathys Wins Short Fiction Contest

Congratulations to Ted Mathys, who has won KR’s fourteenth annual short fiction contest. Mathys is the author of the poetry collections Gold Cure (Coffee House Press, 2020) as well as Null Set (2015), The Spoils (2009) and Forge (2005). Originally from Ohio, he lives in Saint Louis, where he teaches at Saint Louis University and curates the 100 Boots Poetry Series at Pulitzer Arts Foundation. Ted Mathys will receive a scholarship to attend the KR Writers Workshop, and his story “Tallgrass” will be published in the Jan/Feb 2022 issue of KR. The runners-up in the contest were Sam Zafris for “The Clothes I Kept,” Rachel Slotnick for “The Bat Inspector,” and Malavika Shetty for “Newbury Street, March 2020.”

Summer Reading: KR Recommends . . .

Every season is a season for books. But summer is a time for literary basking. The light lingers on the page, inviting you to read just one more chapter, savor one more poem. Every June, we ask our extended family of editors and staff to recommend books they have loved (or are looking forward to). One click—here—brings you to this summer’s list.

Welcoming the New KR Fellows

We are delighted to announce that Elinam Agbo and Cristina Correa will be joining the Kenyon Review team as our new KR Fellows—Agbo as the fellow in prose, Correa as the fellow in poetry. Both writers will arrive in Gambier, Ohio, this summer to begin two-year stints in the fellowship. Born in Ghana, Agbo grew up in Kansas and graduated from the University of Chicago and the Helen Zell Writers’ Program at the University of Michigan. A prize-winning writer whose work has appeared in a number of journals, she is now working on her first novel. Tory Weber, KR Associate Director of Programs and Fellowships, notes, “Elinam Agbo’s writing bends and blends genres in strange and exciting ways and she creates wonderfully surreal worlds that leave her reader wanting more. It is clear that her passions and interests extend well off the page in ways that will be exciting for Kenyon Review and the broader Kenyon community.” Correa, a widely published poet, is from Chicago, where she spent more than a decade serving at-risk and marginalized youth and recovering addicts as well as artists and scholars. She holds degrees in creative writing and Latinx studies, and most recently earned an MFA at Cornell University. She is currently at work on her first collection of poems. Weber reflects, “Cristina Correa writes with deep earnestness and honesty, crafting poems that are truly beautiful and moving. She brings that same spirit to her teaching and editorial pursuits, which our students and readers will greatly benefit from.”

Apply Now for New Fellowships

We are now accepting applications for a new mentoring program, the Developmental Editing Fellowship for Emerging Writers. The application period runs through July 15 for this program, which will enable each writer to focus intensively on a project under the guidance of an experienced editor. Over a four-month period, the writers and editors will work together with the aim of readying the projects for publication. The program is designed to nurture new voices in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry by providing support for emerging writers who demonstrate exceptional talent, promise, and commitment to their craft. Writers from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the publishing industry are especially encouraged to apply. For more information on this new program, click here.

Rosse Event Series Opens on June 20

The lineup of speakers for the Rosse Event Series just got even more exciting, with the announcement that our guest authors will include Louise Erdrich and Heid E. Erdrich. These two acclaimed writers will join in conversation on July 11 as part of the online literary program, which kicks off on June 20 in conjunction with the 2021 KR Writers Workshop sessions. Another part of the program, the Publishing Roundtable—offering perspectives on the publishing world along with advice to writers—will feature equally notable speakers, including Meghan O’Rourke, editor of the Yale Review; Kwame Dawes, editor of Prairie Schooner; Peter LaBerge, founder of the Adroit Journal; Jeff Shotts, executive editor at Graywolf Press; Geoffrey Kloske, president and publisher of Riverhead Books; and Nicole Terez Dutton, editor of the Kenyon Review.

There’s still time to purchase admission to the Rosse Event Series. The $250 registration fee ($125 for students) provides access to twenty-two readings, panels, and other events bringing together diverse writers discussing literature and the craft of writing. Audience members can enjoy the events in real time, June 20-26 and July 11-17, and have the option of viewing recordings through September 1. Learn more about this extraordinary opportunity.

From the KR Blog: “Anatomy of a Virtual Book Launch”

BY LAURA MAYLENE WALTER

May 10, 2021

Years ago, when I dreamed of publishing a novel, I never expected to celebrate the launch of my debut while talking into a screen at my writing desk as the live video projected into the homes of family and friends across the country. I also never would have guessed that I’d sip a custom cocktail in a light-up glass while introducing The Poetry Psychic Project as a special guest for the evening. But this is the age of pandemics and Zoom, a time when authors are encouraged to get creative with their virtual book launches, so that’s exactly what happened—and it wasn’t half bad, all things considered. In this first installment of a two-part series on virtual book launches, Walter—who recently launched her novel, Body of Stars—offers some practical advice to writers preparing to celebrate their work in the online realm. Read her post here.

KR Honored as Award Finalist

The Kenyon Review has been chosen as a finalist for a 2021 Firecracker Award, given annually by the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP). KR is one of eight finalists in the category of magazines: general excellence. Now in their seventh year, the Firecracker Awards “celebrate books and magazines that make a significant contribution to our literary culture and the publishers that strive to introduce important voices to readers,” according to CLMP. The CLMP is a national nonprofit organization that supports the work of independent literary publishers. Other Firecracker Award categories are fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and magazines: best debut. The award winners will be announced at a virtual ceremony on June 23. Click here to register for this event.

JUNE 2021 
CONTENTS
Fiction Contest Winner
Summer Reading Recs
New KR Fellows!
Fellowship Opportunity
Rosse Event Series

From the Blog
KR Nominated

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