What summer writing programs qualify for the fellowship?
This is entirely up to you. There is a plethora of programs out there, from independent study retreats like Hedgebrook, to Cave Canem, to Breadloaf, to the 92nd Street Y. We recommend that poets begin research immediately into programs, and apply for them at the earliest point their guidelines allow. This means that if you are accepted, you know exactly what you’re playing for as the slam season progresses. You’re playing to have the costs of your summer education defrayed, or taken care of altogether, depending on what the dollar value of the finals prize turns out to be. What if I am not accepted by any of my preferred summer programs, but make the “team?” You can then design a course of study for the summer that will be fully or partially underwritten by your winnings. It will have to be approved by the curators, but might involve personal instruction from a poet of your choosing, purchase and study of a selection of books. What if I am accepted by one of my preferred summer program
