Individual Artist Fellowship Grant

First, I believe the act of reading is an act of relation in and of itself. One reads, one takes in the world from another’s perspective. Second, writing is both a social and political act. One writes, one provides another view of the world. And, lastly, this symbiotic relationship puts people in contact and dialogue with one another—in close proximity to and concerning each other’s perspective and selfhood. I plan to accomplish this goal by completing three tasks: 1) Take time off from work to solely write and revise poetry; 2) Complete a full-length manuscript of poetry for publication; 3) Share my work with a public audience by giving a reading. To evaluate my plan and measure my outcomes, I will review records of my project budget and newspaper/individual reviews of my poetry and reading. I plan to record the number of people and demographics of those who attend the public reading. Also, I will organize a writing workshop, comprised of established poets and writers, to gain immediate verbal and written feedback about my manuscript: content, delivery, and impact. This workshop session will last approximately 1-2 hours in length. Lastly, I will record the number of pages/poems written and the publishing acceptance rate accrued during the grant period.