OVERVIEW

The Mary Withers Rural Writing Fellowship is an opportunity for college journalists to spend a summer on a Kentucky farm writing long-form, narrative articles chronicling rural America. The winner of the fellowship spends three months in Boyd’s Station, KY, a non-profit arts and journalism residency program, along with two college photographers who are also grant recipients. Boyd’s Station has a partnership with the Louisville-Courier Journal, whose editors revise the final drafts and publish the articles.

WRITING EXPECTATIONS

Fellows are expected to develop, report, and write 2 – 3 longform news feature articles each summer for publication in the Courier-Journal. The fellow is also expected to write a first-person article introducing themselves to the community, which is published in the Cynthiana Democrat. Beyond that, they’re welcome to write any other pieces that we will help publish in whatever outlet is ideal.

OVERSIGHT

Alan Gomez, a former reporter and bureau chief for USA Today, is the director of the fellowship and serves as the mentor/editor. He helps the fellow develop their story ideas, plot their reporting course, and edits drafts of each article. Alan does not live in Kentucky, so fellows must be motivated self-starters who can thrive without constant supervision. Alan visits Boyd’s Station at the start and end of the summer, but the rest of the time meetings are held via Zoom.

COMPENSATION

The winner of the Mary Withers Rural Writing Fellowship receives a $3,000 grant and free housing for the summer. They are also reimbursed for expenses related directly to their reporting, including gas. The only requirement is that the fellow have a car as reporting in Harrison County, KY, is impossible without one.

DEADLINE

The application deadline is Jan. 6, 2025.