The Berkshires' Mightiest Independent Alternative Newsthing
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Writers Residency Applications Due
The library at The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home; photo by Robin Catalano (file photo).
November 1, 2021 @ 8:00 am – 8:30 am EDT
(Lenox, MA)—The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home is collaborating with Western Massachusetts’ Straw Dog Writers Guild to offer a unique residency experience for nine emerging writers. Residencies will be for one week and include lodging at Seven Hills Inn in Lenox, a workspace at The Mount, breakfast, lunch, and a $500 stipend. The residencies run weekly from March 6 – March 26 and three writers will be selected for each week. Applications open on October 1. Visit EdithWharton.org for more information.
This will be the eighth year The Mount has offered writers an opportunity to create at The Mount and its first year partnering with Straw Dog Writers Guild. The revamped residency now focuses on writers who are developing their craft. There is no prerequisite for being published.
“We had an opportunity to reevaluate our goals for this program,” said Susan Wissler, The Mount’s executive director. “By removing the barrier of being published we hope to draw an eclectic pool of applicants across many genres.”
“Cultivating emerging voices is central to the mission and future of Straw Dog Writers Guild,” said Christopher J. Sparks, author and president of SDWG. “I cannot imagine a more fitting frame than The Mount for that first or second passage of crafting self from truth.”
“The Mount was conceived as a private retreat by a writer on the verge of her literary ascent; in the 21st century, what better way to share Edith Wharton’s home and legacy than with an organization of writers devoted to supporting emerging voices,” says Patricia Pin, public program director at The Mount.
How to apply:
Additional information, including an online application, is at EdithWharton.org. Applications open on October 1 and close on November 1. The $25 application fee will be waived for financial hardship and for Mount and Straw Dog members. Submissions are reviewed anonymously and ranked based on the following criteria: quality of writing, originality of voice, the potential for growth as a writer, and strength of the statement of purpose.
For additional information, please contact Patricia Pin at [email protected].
Straw Dog Writers Guild
The mission of Straw Dog Writers Guild is to unite and inspire writers throughout their diverse communities. A membership organization set in Western Massachusetts, it is open to writers of all genres and levels of expertise, no matter where they reside. Straw Dog Writers Guild supports writers virtually and in-person through craft workshops, open mics, on-line writing opportunities, social gatherings, authors’ showcases, networking, writing residencies, high school scholarships, an Emerging Writers Fellowship, and more. All are welcome.
The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home
The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home is a National Historic Landmark and cultural center dedicated to the intellectual, artistic, and humanitarian legacy of Edith Wharton (1862-1937), one of America’s greatest authors. Wharton wrote over 40 books in 40 years, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Age of Innocence.
The Mount presents Wharton’s life and achievements through tours of her house and gardens, and programming. The Mount is the literary hub of the Berkshires and hosts lectures and panels by national authors and scholars both on-site and online. Seasonal cultural offerings on property include an annual outdoor sculpture show, music, and dance.
We are located at 2 Plunkett Street in Lenox, Mass. For more information, visit EdithWharton.org
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