Have you ever wondered why coral reefs have lost their vibrant colors, why it’s so hard to spot the fairy-like twinkle of fireflies on campus or why durians emit such a pungent smell despite their sweet flavor? “Attention is the Beginning of Devotion,” wrote Mary Oliver, a beloved poet whose work is heavily inspired by the natural world. Last summer, seven Kenyon students got to express their devotion to both the art of creative writing and science as Hoskins Frame Summer Science Writing Scholars, answering their own science-related questions in creative pieces and interviewing other student scholars researching on campus during the summer. 

“If you want to know the most recent research on the pollination patterns of bumblebees, you’re not gonna want to look for a poem about that,” Hannah Ehrlich ’26 said. But she believes in the value of creative science writing: “[Readers] want to be entertained and given the same catharsis that they might have from reading any type of creative work, but then they’ll also learn something about science that the author cares about.”

The first portion of the program was primarily seminar based, covering the basics of science writing and interview techniques. The scholars got to visit labs and interview students and faculty about their summer science research. From those interviews, they transformed intricate scientific findings into articles easily understood by a general audience. The articles were published by the Office of Communications in August. 

The writers had their task cut out for them: to act as a translator between the scientists, the readers and the publisher. Ehrlich made a note of this delicate balancing act. She interviewed Tapiwa Gono Phiri ’25, who was working on designing a new type of polymer that will degrade in a more recycling-friendly process. “He was just so into what he was doing that he just wanted to talk to me about the process of building polymers, and how that happened every day,” Ehrlich said. However, the Office of Communications wanted to redirect the focus from scientific procedures to a story emblematic of Kenyon students’ spirit in intellectual pursuits. “So I had to [make the article] Office of Communications-worthy, without over-romanticizing the science, and keep it true to what is actually happening in the lab,” Ehrlich continued. 

The second portion of the program was workshop based. The writers worked with both their peers and faculty mentors for refining feedback on their creative project. “I felt that I met a lot of good people and good mentors. They gave really good advice and helped me with becoming more confident in my own writing,” said Anh Quach ’26.

Hoskin Frame writers ventured into multiple venues of creative writing. For example, crescent-shaped poems explaining how moths orient themselves with moonlight (Isabella Clark ’25), a fictional conversation between a girl and a jaded piece of coral reef condemning human’s responsibility in coral bleaching (Samantha Ofori ’26) or even a more visual route — comics depicting barn swallows’ mating habits (Desmond Dietz ’25). 

“I like writing and I like drawing, and it’s my perspective that combining the visual with the text can really communicate science in a way that’s accessible to people,” Dietz said in an interview with the Collegian. Besides the aforementioned text-heavy comic, they also drew one that depicts the practice of bird-banding from the swallows’ perspective without any text, illustrating the confusion of the birds when captured, inspected and then released by humans. 

A selection of works were printed in an anthology at the culmination of the program. The copies of the anthology were given out during the Science and Nature Writing Reading last week at Cheever House. 

Multiple roads led the writers to the program. For Ehrlich and Dietz, the program is a suitable supplement to their academic interests, as they are both English and environmental studies majors. For Quach, a mathematics and philosophy major, it was anime that inspired her: “My favorite anime, for example, Attack on Titan or Neon Genesis Evangelion all have very, very interesting details related to science… [These anime series] drew me in, and the [scientific] knowledge came to me unexpectedly.” 

The writers came out of the program inspired to embark on new adventures in science writing. Quach and Ehrlich expressed an interest in science journalism in the future, while Dietz appreciated how the program “kicked me back into my love of making things.” 

Anyone interested in applying to the program should consult the information page, or contact Frances Cannon, Mellon SNW Fellow, at cannon1@kenyon.edu; Professor of Biology Chris Gillen, SNW co-director, at gillenc@kenyon.edu or Assistant Professor of English Orchid Tierney, SNW co-director, at tierney1@kenyon.edu.