The deadline for the Layser Greater Yellowstone Creative Writing and Journalism Scholarship is approaching
The deadline for The Wyoming Arts Council Pattie Layser Greater Yellowstone Scholarship for Creative Writing and Journalism in 2023 is approaching. The deadline for applications is March 15, 2023. Applications are accepted online through Submittable at https://wyomingartscouncil.
This prestigious annual $3,500 scholarship is a nationwide call for creative writers (poetry, fiction, nonfiction) and journalists (writer, photojournalist, cameraman, documentarian, online or print media) who demonstrate a serious interest in and commitment to the Greater Yellowstone region through their work. With generous funding from The Pattie and Earle Layser Memorial Fund, this fellowship strives to intersect science, education, current events, and conservation to effectively communicate the Great Yellowstone’s natural history and extraordinary importance to society through creative and exceptional writing and subject communication. Established and established authors are sought, but emerging and mid-career writers are also encouraged to apply.
The scholarship recipient is expected to produce or complete relevant publishable or produced work and may be asked or invited to make a public presentation. In addition to the financial award, the scholarship recipient can also choose to stay for one to two weeks at one of several prearranged different locations in the Greater Yellowstone area. Such stay will be based on availability and will be discussed with the scholarship recipient.
Susan Tweit will serve as a judge for the second year in a row. A plant ecologist by training, Susan began her career studying grizzly bear habitat – collecting and dissecting bear droppings – mapping historic wildfires and researching large sagebrush. She started writing after realizing she loved the stories behind the data more than collecting that data. Tweit has written thirteen books on the nature of life and our place in it, along with hundreds of magazine articles, newspaper columns, and essays. Her most recent book, “Bless the Birds: Living With Love in a Time of Dying,” won the Sarton Prize for Memoirs and was a finalist for the Colorado Book Awards. Tweit has led writing workshops across the country, coached writers, served as a judge for numerous scholarships and awards, and reviewed manuscripts for publishers and agents. She feels fortunate to have been awarded scholarships and residencies at inspiring places, including The Mesa Refuge on a bluff above Tomales Bay in Point Reyes Station, California; a historic casita just off Canyon Road in Santa Fe thanks to the Women’s International Study Center; and Carpenter Ranch in northwest Colorado with the Colorado Art Ranch. Tweit’s work is driven by terraphilia and her passion for healing and retelling this land and us who share the planet.
Bebe Crouse will join Susan as a judge this year. Crouse spent more than 25 years as a working journalist before taking the position of Associate Director of Communications for The Nature Conservancy and spending ten years as Environment and Western Editor for NPR. She has reported and produced award-winning radio and television news and documentaries for national media networks including NPR, CBS, NBC, Wall Street Journal, BBC and PBS. Her work has taken her across the United States, Europe, Mexico, Cuba, Kenya and Central America. She has also spent time as a mountain and river guide and environmental planner in Oregon and California. Her experience, combined with her background in environmental science, positions her well for her work at The Nature Conservancy, where she continues to write about the causes she values. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and kayaking or rafting.
A complete list of eligibility requirements and additional information can be found on the Wyoming Arts Council website at www.wyomingartscouncil.org. For more information, contact Kimberly Mittelstadt at 307-274-6673.
