Residency Dates: October 09, 2022 - October 29, 2022
Application Deadline: May 08, 2022
Kwame Dawes is a Pabst Endowed Chair for Master Writers
Born in Ghana in 1962, Kwame Dawes spent most of his childhood and early adult life in Jamaica. He is a writer of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and plays. As a poet, he is profoundly influenced by the rhythms and textures of Ghana, citing in an interview his “spiritual, intellectual, and emotional engagement with reggae music.” Indeed, his book Bob Marley: Lyrical Genius remains the most authoritative study of the lyrics of Bob Marley.
Kwame Dawes has authored 36 books of poetry, fiction, criticism, and essays, including, most recently, Nebraska (UNP, 2019), Bivouac (Akashic Books, 2019), and City of Bones: A Testament (Northwestern, 2017). Speak from Here to There (Peepal Tree Press), co-written with Australian poet John Kinsella, appeared in 2016. He is Glenna Luschei Editor of Prairie Schooner and Chancellor’s Professor of English at the University of Nebraska. He is also a faculty member in the Pacific MFA Program. He is Director of the African Poetry Book Fund and Artistic Director of the Calabash International Literary Festival. Dawes is a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets.
Residency Statement:
These sessions will seek to guide poets towards generating new work through a series of exercises and around some core considerations of craft, the conceptualization of the poetic impulse, and creative practices. Beginning with Yusef Komunyakaa’s conception of the poet as “Caretaker of Observation”, the poets will write, discuss and edit the new work generated.
Application Requirements:
- A 1-2 page resume (pdf)
- 5 poems
- A brief (paragraph or so) personal statement about anything you like
Residency Fee: Waived for this Residency (Includes a weekday meals and housing; does not include artist materials, transportation, or weekend meals.)
For details, please visit the master artist details page.
Application fee: $25