Rhode Island Writers-in-Residence are:
emerging writers over 21.
full- or part-time artists who are generally parents, spouses, and/or single adults working full-time in all fields of study and vocation.
in the writing or drafting phase of a project and need time to focus and complete it.
not actively enrolled in full-or part-time undergraduate or graduate studies in the academic calendar year fall 2019–spring 2020 during the residency dates this year.
writing samples show or use a distinctive style, voice, or perspective with commercial and/or canonical appeal.
internationally traveled and culturally aware.
well versed in African-American/Diaspora canons.
demonstrates an ongoing dedication to the study of the craft.
teaches or employs some sort of artistic activism.
“When the mind is quieted, creativity can flourish. This is the principal benefit of writers’ colonies. For the writer of color, these spaces are limited however. That’s why my time at the Rhode Island Writer’s Colony was so invaluable. My manuscript blossomed, my circle of friends expanded, and most importantly, my voice, in all its Blackness, was nurtured and empowered. The experience truly changed my life personally and professionally.
~Irvin Weathersby, Jr.
2015 Writer-in-Residence”
Irvin Weathersby, Jr.