Floating on Air

GAMBIER, Ohio (November 15, 2010)

Kenyon's creative writing scene has hit the airwaves with the debut this fall of The Kenyon Credenza, a monthly radio show devoted to student prose and poetry. Based on inventive, often playful writing prompts, the hour-long program airs on WKCO (91.9 FM), the campus radio station.

"We can learn so much about our work when it is read aloud," said Kate Kremer '11, who founded the show. "Radio gives our words the opportunity to stand alone, without distraction." Kremer hosts the program (nicknamed "Kenyon Cred") and produces it with classmate Hannah Withers. Support comes from the Kenyon Review Associates, the student group that works with the Kenyon Review, helping with editing and activities for the nationally known literary journal.

Kenyon Credenza invites students to submit work in response to the prompts, which are posted on the show's Facebook page. The program debuted in October with more than a dozen works linked to the sound-alike words "knotted, naughty, and nautical." That prompt generated poetry and prose on topics ranging from the ocean to a first romantic encounter. Students were invited to read their own pieces or have one of the hosts read them.

November's show was tied to the Kenyon Review Literary Festival and centered on the theme "Things that Start with Mer-," in honor of U.S. Poet Laureate W.S. Merwin. As the newest recipient of the Kenyon Review Award for Literary Achievement, Merwin gave a reading at the festival, which took place on the Kenyon campus, November 5-6. "We wanted a prompt that was inspired by Merwin's visit, but broad enough to foster creativity and fun," said Kremer. Submissions, which aired on November 6, included stories and poems about mermaids, meridians, mercy, merci, merrymaking, Melot, la mere, murmurs and the backwards "mers" of remnants and remembrance.

Kremer and Withers are excited about the show's success. "We've received a great response from listeners and the number of submissions surprised us," said Withers. "The interest shown in this project from the Kenyon Review, the Kenyon Review Associates, and other Kenyon students should help it survive well into the future."