Kenna DeValor’s winning poem ‘Amaze, Amaze, Amaze’ takes their writing to the moon and beyond
“When I was a kid, I bragged to everyone that I was going to be an astronaut-teacher who teaches about space IN space!” says Kenna DeValor, winner of this year’s Etruscan Prize.
For over 15 years, the Etruscan Prize has recognized outstanding work by students in Wilkes University’s Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing. Each year, Etruscan Press invites the program’s students to submit “one page that sings” in any genre. DeValor is a current student of the creative writing program and is drafting their debut dark academia and sapphic/LGBT+ novel under the mentorship of young adult (YA) author Allison Saft.
DeValor’s winning poem, Amaze, Amaze, Amaze, was heavily inspired by humanity and space exploration. They partly credit Andy Weir’s novel Project Hail Mary, recently adapted into a film starring Ryan Gosling. However, it was the magic of the Artemis II space expedition earlier this year that enchanted DeValor the most. “I wanted to channel that feeling from a middle ground between the astronauts and the people back on Earth,” says DeValor. “I felt compelled to write the poem after they returned safely.”
A non-astronaut teacher on Earth (from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to be exact) DeValor sought to capture their “child-like hope,” and in the process, skyrocketed their dreams of being an author farther into the universe.
“Our partnership with Wilkes University is invaluable to Etruscan, and we are proud to celebrate the remarkable talent of the University’s writers,” says Amanda Rabaduex, MA ‘22, MFA ‘23, publisher at Etruscan Press. Submissions are judged by an Etruscan author who selects one winning piece. This year’s judge was Brian Coughlan, author of two books published by Etruscan, including the short story collection Don’t Mind Me (2024).
DeValor had their eye on the prize for a while. “I knew I wanted to give it a try,” says DeValor. “I knew I had to share it with the Etruscan Prize judges, and I was hoping that they would feel seen in this poem.”
Coughlan selected DeValor as the winner and praised their poem for how “it captures with simplicity and elegance our place in the scale of things; the apparent contradiction of our humble insignificance on a Universal scale with the enormous breadth and sweep of our humanity.”
The prize was announced in June at the closing banquet during the creative writing program’s residency. DeValor was surrounded by friends, peers, authors, agents, publishers, editors, staff and faculty mentors. As they received their prize on stage, DeValor’s poem was distributed to everyone in the audience.
“It was a prize I had always wanted since the first time I learned about it, and I always saw it as something that was a goal, but it felt nearly impossible – simply a dream – until it happened,” says DeValor, who thanks Coughlin, Etruscan Press, mentors and friends for their support and belief in their work.
“We congratulate Kenna DeValor on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to continuing the Etruscan Prize for many years to come,” says Rabaduex.
The prize, however, wasn’t just about winning. For DeValor, it was ultimately about gaining confidence as a writer, being seen and connecting with humanity.
“It truly meant the world to me. It was a sign that my writing actually means something beyond just myself. It taught me that my writing matters to others, and others see what I write, and I feel the impact,” says DeValor. “It made me believe in my writing more and made me trust in my goals and the work I do with my poetry, even if it’s not what I’m doing for my thesis at the moment. It makes me want to write more and keep submitting my work for others to read and connect with.”
As DeValor pursues their MA/MFA degrees, they continue to submit their work to different publications and acknowledge that it can be scary. “I like taking leaps and being brave and putting my work into other people’s hands,” says DeValor.
They have already begun to make their mark on the writing world and impact the community in several ways. They are founder and editor-in-chief of FlowerMouth Press, a literary agent, a teacher, a journalist, a professional tattoo artist, a professional typewriter poet contracted with the Poetry Society of New York and have been published over 70 times in various publications around the world.
Much like the historic journey of Artemis II, DeValor has launched their own expedition to set out on a new trajectory. To join and witness DeValor’s mission, follow and subscribe to their channels below and prepare to be amazed, amazed, amazed.
Instagram: @teadragonz / @kennadevalorwrites / @flowermouthpress
Substack: https://kennadevalorwrites.substack.com/