Writing and Thinking at Kenyon

August 18-24, 2013

What is memory? How do we make sense of our lives? What are the rituals by which we create community? What distinguishes belief from knowledge? Are our identities shaped by biology or culture? Writing and Thinking at Kenyon is a writing workshop created by The Kenyon Review for first-year students who want to begin their college experience by exploring some of the most exciting ideas drawn from across the college's curriculum.

Students will meet in small groups to discuss questions raised by a work of art, a social problem, a scientific concept, or a literary text. Writing will be creative, collaborative, and ungraded, offering students an opportunity to explore the relationship between ideas and their expression in a free-flowing workshop environment. While students will receive close, individual attention to their writing, this is not a composition program; it is a creative exploration of ideas and their expression, designed to introduce students to questions which they may want to explore in greater depth in their classes.

Evening activities will include readings, films, and creative challenges. Students will have opportunities to get to know the campus and its community, as well as to meet other students who share an interest in writing.

"After a summer of fun and relaxation it was good to exercise my brain again. Writing and Thinking prepared me for what discussions will be like, allowing me to become comfortable with my opinion and expressing it aloud ... I think I will go into my freshman year prepared to dive right in. My mind has been refreshed and friendships have been established ... School with no grading, my dream come true."

"The most amazing thing about this program is its ability to make me feel like I belong to Kenyon before the school year has even begun. I feel more prepared to take on classes, and I feel that I have a group of people that I can always turn to for support."

--Comments from previous Writing and Thinking at Kenyon participants

Enrollment: 60

Cost: $950

Scholarships: Available for financial aid recipients

Applications Due: May 15, 2013