Young Writers takes place at Kenyon College, a
leading liberal-arts college renowned for its tradition of literary study. The Young
Writers Workshop program is sponsored by The Kenyon Review,
one of the country’s preeminent literary magazines.
At Young Writers, students write
to explore ideas, then develop those ideas through further writing. Because
good writers are also avid readers, students read short stories, poems and
essays, which they discuss, write about and use as inspiration for their own
work.
Workshop groups (with no more than
twelve students in each group) meet for five hours a day. In addition to freewriting
exercises and responses to “prompts,” students write stories, poetry, personal
narratives, dialogues, reflective passages and experimental pieces. They also
use writing to explore, creatively and analytically, short works by established
authors. While traditional expository essays are not assigned (nor is any work
at Young Writers graded), a number of our exercises help students approach
difficult texts and develop skills that will serve them well in writing papers
for school and college.
Workshop sessions are complemented
by informal interchange during free time as well as by a series of public
readings by visiting poets, fiction writers, and essayists.
Nestled among rolling hills in the
village of Gambier, the Kenyon campus is known for
its striking beauty. Students have full access to College recreational
facilities, including basketball and tennis courts and a swimming pool. Weekend
activities include social events and field trips.
Young Writers is a two-week
residential program. The total cost, including tuition, accommodations, all
meals, and activities, is $2,275.
Kenyon is committed to socioeconomic diversity and some scholarship aid is
available for students who demonstrate financial need as part of their
application. To apply for scholarship aid, please check the box on the
application form and send in the scholarship application form by March 1, 2012.
In addition to the online application
form,
each student must also submit a brief story or essay (not to exceed 300 words) that illustrates why he or she is interested in participating in the Young Writers
program and what he or she might contribute to it. A teacher’s letter of recommendation, a
high school transcript and the optional financial aid application must also be postmarked and/or submitted
electronically no later than March 1, 2012.
