Residency Dates: June 25, 2017 - July 15, 2017
Application Deadline: January 22, 2017
Mithchell S. Jackson is a Pabst Endowed Chair for Master Writers.
Mitchell S. Jackson’s debut novel The Residue Years was praised by publications including The New York Times, The Paris Review, and The Times of London. Jackson is the winner of a Whiting Award. His novel also won The Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence and was a finalist for the Center for Fiction’s Flaherty-Dunnan First novel prize, the PEN/ Hemingway award for first fiction, and the Hurston / Wright Legacy Award. Jackson’s honors include fellowships from TED, the Lannan Foundation, the BreadLoaf Conference, and the Center for Fiction. His writing has appeared in publications including The New York Times Book Review, Salon, and Tin House. He serves on the faculty at New York University and Columbia University.
For more information, please visit http://mitchellsjackson.com/
PHILOSOPHY
Here’s what I believe: how something is being said is almost if not equal to what is being said. To that end, I am interested in eloquent prose—both fiction and nonfiction. My sense of eloquence is almost synonymous with voice, and what I mean by both are sentences and phrases that are striking and memorable. This begs the question, how does one create eloquence? Eloquence is often born of a writer’s philosophy. Eloquent prose is an act of composition, which also means it is an act of revision. Eloquent sentences are acoustically engaging, vivid, imaginative, forceful, felicitous, and often give a sense of energy or motion. In addition to studying elements of eloquence, we will work to deepen our understanding of others components of prose, including point of view, setting, conflict, characterization, pacing, tone, plot development, dialogue, etc. We will also work to strengthen your ability to read as a writer as well as develop / improve the skills necessary to revise your work and critique the work of others. We will complete writing exercises designed to assist in exploring a range of strategies, impulses, and ideas, as well as generate new material. In our group meetings, you will have the opportunity to share in-progress work. There will also be opportunities to conference with me one on one.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
- A brief bio or CV. (.doc, .docx, .pdf)
- A letter of intent describing what you’ve been writing recently and what you expect to accomplish during the residency. Please include the titles of two or three works that you consider models for what you’ll be working on and two or three writers whose work has significantly influenced or inspired you. (.doc, .docx, .pdf)
- A work sample of ten double-spaced pages of prose in the genre in which you plan to work during the residency. (.doc, .docx, .pdf)
Residency Fee: $900
Includes a $100 administration fee, weekday meals and housing; does not include artist materials, transportation, or weekend meals.
Scholarships / Financial Assistance
Only accepted Associate Artists may apply for financial assistance. For details, please visit the master artist details page.
Application fee: $25