The Kenyon Review Turns 75
The latest issue of The Kenyon Review marks its 75th anniversary, celebrating with “Ellen Priest’s brush strokes swooshing colors across the cover” and “the table of contents adazzle with talented authors, old friends and new.” But, as David H. Lynn points out in the editor’s note, “There is much to celebrate beyond mere longevity.” As with most publications, there have been many ups and downs. “Thanks to some creative leadership by trustees of Kenyon College and later by the newly formed trustees of The Kenyon Review,” Lynn writes, “our finances today are more stable—are truly secure—in a way that John Crow Ransom might only have dreamed.”
In honor of Ransom, the journal plans to present “a contemporary reimagining of one of his boldest editorial initiatives: the Kenyon Review Credos. In the early 1950s some of the most celebrated public intellectuals of the day, among them Northrop Frye, William Empson, and Leslie Fiedler, contributed to The Kenyon (as it was known) their personal credos, not confessing spiritual faith so much as the core of their professional philosophies and aspirations. These essays, still fascinating, will be reprised in KROnline in coming months.”
They have also asked 16 active writers in the creative arts to offer their own “latter-day credos.” Four will appear in print and twelve online. This issue features that of Carl Phillips. This issue also features Katharine Weber, Heather Monley, Wes Holtermann, Clarke Clayton, Amit Majmudar, Charles Baxter, Joyce Carol Oates, Roger Rosenblatt, John Kinsella, and more.
