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Prompt to Page with Fenton Johnson

A JCPL librarian interviews published writers about their favorite writing prompts. These exercises can help inspire, focus, and improve your creative writing.

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, a novelist, essayist, or poet, you’ll find motivation to keep writing. 

Brought to you in partnership with the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.

Listen to Episode 47

Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame author Fenton Johnson doesn’t believe in writer’s block.  ”Fighting with the white page over a week, a month, a year, sometimes 10 years,” he says, “that’s what we call writing…. That’s just part of the process.”

Fenton shares several writing prompts that can help you move beyond the blank page. He also discusses his most recent book, At the Center of All Beauty: Solitude and the Creative Life. Listen below!

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Feel-Good Fiction

Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 104

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

On this episode, we discuss feel-good fiction. It’s one of the prompts on the Summer-Fall Books & Bites Bingo reading challenge!

Our picks include two summer-soaked novels set in New England; a classic mystery; and a cozy fantasy so good, it busted Michael out of his reading slump. Listen below!

more: Feel-Good Fiction

Prompt to Page with Leatha Kendrick

A JCPL librarian interviews published writers about their favorite writing prompts. These exercises can help inspire, focus, and improve your creative writing.

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, a novelist, essayist, or poet, you’ll find motivation to keep writing. 

Brought to you in partnership with the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.

Listen to Episode 46

Poet Leatha Kendrick believes that creativity is a habit. “To exercise your creativity is to keep it active and alive,” she says. “You have to get up and walk to the library and then something can happen.”

Exercise your creativity with Leatha’s favorite writing prompt. It will help you turn off your conscious mind and remember forgotten details. Listen below!

more: Prompt to Page with Leatha Kendrick

Prompt to Page with Christopher McCurry

A JCPL librarian interviews published writers about their favorite writing prompts. These exercises can help inspire, focus, and improve your creative writing.

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, a novelist, essayist, or poet, you’ll find motivation to keep writing. 

Brought to you in partnership with the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.

Listen to Episode 45

 ”A teacher giving a prompt is the same as the world nudging you to write something,” says poet and educator Christopher McCurry.

On this episode, Christoper shares two prompts that will inspire you and help build your writing skills. Consider them a nudge to create something new.

more: Prompt to Page with Christopher McCurry

Beam Me Up a Good Sci-Fi Novel

Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 102

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

We’re wrapping up the 2025 Winter-Spring Books & Bites Bingo reading challenge with science fiction!

Our picks include a prequel from a popular YA dystopian series; a novella for fans of Star Trek: First Contact; and a bittersweet comic novel about an alien sent to Earth to learn about humans.

more: Beam Me Up a Good Sci-Fi Novel

Prompt to Page with Wes Blake

A JCPL librarian interviews published writers about their favorite writing prompts. These exercises can help inspire, focus, and improve your creative writing.

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, a novelist, essayist, or poet, you’ll find motivation to keep writing. 

Brought to you in partnership with the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning.

Listen to Episode 44

 For author Wes Blake, a former West Jessamine High School English teacher, writing about his obsessions helped him find his subject matter.

“When you write about what obsesses you,” he says, “it guides you towards things that are important to you, maybe in some way that you don’t fully understand.”

more: Prompt to Page with Wes Blake