Fellowships
Applications for 2027 are due January 1.
The two fellowships
A year · a book of poems
The Young Poets Fellowship
Named for Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet, in which a poet at the beginning of his work comes to understand why he writes.
A year of reading and writing poems. We begin with the poets who came before you and meet one-on-one every week. I read every poem closely, and by the end of the year you have a book of poems.
Open to anyone who wants to write poems, at any stage of life, including those who do not yet call themselves poets.
Request an applicationA year · a series of essays
The Phaedo Fellowship
Named for Plato’s Phaedo, in which Socrates spends his last day in conversation with his friends.
A year of reading deeply. We set out a program of reading together, for example Middlemarch or the complete Dickinson, and meet one-on-one every week. I read your drafts closely, and across the year you write a series of essays that bring together what you have lived and what you have read.
Open to any reader, especially those who have not yet had the opportunity for deep literary work.
Request an applicationWhat a Fellowship includes
Weekly one-on-one tutorials for the year.
Membership: access to every live class, the Reading Group, the weekend seminars, and the library of recordings.
Tuition is free to Fellows.
Eligibility
Open to anyone, at any age. You do not need a degree, publications, or a background in literature. If you have not had the time, the opportunity, or the money for this kind of study, I especially encourage you to apply.
How to apply
Applications are due January 1. I will write to every applicant by January 15, and the fellowships begin on February 1, 2027.
To apply, request an application and I will send it to you. Tell me which fellowship, or both.