Richard Swanson Emerging Poet Fellowship

Sponsored by Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets & Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts

With thanks to the generosity of poet Richard Swanson, the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets has partnered with Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts to provide a fellowship for emerging poets in Wisconsin. The fellowship provides a honorarium, residency, mentorship, and other benefits, as well as opportunities for community outreach.

Eligibility:

In order to apply for the Richard Swanson Emerging Poet Fellowship, you must be a Wisconsin resident, and you must meet two of the following three criteria:

  • You are between the ages of 18 and 45

  • You have not published a full-length poetry book

  • You do not have an MFA or a Ph.D. in poetry or creative writing

Description of Award:

The emerging poet will receive a $750 honorarium and a 5-day residency at Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts located in Mineral Point, WI. Working with Shake Rag Alley staff, the Swanson Emerging Poet Fellow will provide a public outreach program, which can include a workshop, reading, or visit to schools or another community organization. Additionally, the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets will provide mentorship, a one-year membership, and opportunities to contribute to WFOP programming.

How to apply:

Submit your application to wfoppres@gmail.com and include:

  • a cover letter detailing your qualifications for the award (be sure to identify the criteria you meet), your work, and a proposed outreach program and its potential audience;

  • a resume/CV with contact information (name, address, email, phone number, and any web/social media) of no more than 2 pages;

  • a sample of your work (no more than 10 pages; if you’d like to share audio/video files of your work, please submit a document with live links.

 

About Richard Swanson

A retired teacher of English, Richard Swanson served as WFOP’s Secretary from 2010-2015, and was a member of the Poet Laureate Commission and The Council for Wisconsin Writers.  He read a lot, enjoyed cooking, fishing, woodworking—and writing. Many of his poems were often humorous and full of wordplay, but Richard had a commitment to human values and social justice, and narrative storytelling frequently anchored his work. His first collection, Men in the Nude in Socks, won the statewide Posner Award (now the Edna Meudt Prize).  That was followed by a second, long collection, Not Quite Eden, about the process of aging. Swanson’s two chapbooks are Eastern Europe 1989, a saga about the end of tyranny there, and Paparazzi Moments, a wry look at popular culture icons, including Barbie (of the doll fame) and a fantasy pope driving a Ferrari through the Tuscan hills. Shortly before his death, Swanson’s The Shoeshiner’s Rag Pops and Sings: Poems New and Old and In Between was published by Bent Paddle Press. He lived in Madison with his partner Fanny Aragno.