John Dos Passos first visited Key West in the 1920s and told his friend Ernest Hemingway about the place. During the winter of 1934, while completing the U.S.A. Trilogy, Dos Passos and his wife lived in this house at 1401 Pine St., then the outskirts of town.
SCHOLARSHIPS & FINANCIAL AID
Joyce Horton Johnson
Fiction Award
2009
Martha Otis
2008
Mehdi Okasi
Nami Mun*
Marianne Russo Scholarship
2009
Patricia Engel
2008
Kristen-Paige Madonia
Katherine Schaefer*
Scotti Merrill
Memorial Scholarship
2009
April Puciata
2008
Nancy Pearson
Jacqueline Jones LaMon*
(* = runner-up)
The Key West Literary Seminar's three named scholarships– the Joyce Horton Johnson Fiction Award, the Marianne Russo Scholarship, and the Scotti Merrill Scholarship– recognize excellence in a manuscript submission from an emerging writer. Each provides full tuition to our January Seminar and Writers' Workshop Program, support for travel, lodging, and living expenses while in Key West, and an opportunity to appear on stage during the Seminar. In addition to these scholarships, we provide limited financial assistance to writers, students, teachers, and librarians who would otherwise not be able to attend the Seminar or Writers' Workshop Program.
To apply as a writer, a teacher, or a librarian, please consult the appropriate application guidelines below. We prefer to receive application materials in Word document (.doc) format, delivered to us as an email attachment. Writing samples (if applicable) must be included alone in one document; all other materials must be in a separate document. Please indicate the nature of your application by writing “Scholarship Application - Writers” or “Scholarship Application - Teachers & Librarians" in the subject header of your email. If you cannot format your application as a .doc, contact us to work out an alternate solution.
In just two years, we have supported more than 100 individuals with nearly $100,000 in fee waivers and lodging and travel assistance. This assistance is made possible by extraordinarily generous support from our community. We are grateful to Joyce Johnson, The Dogwood Foundation, and The Rodel Charitable Foundation-Florida for providing the endowments which will support our scholarship program for years to come; to Judy Blume's KIDS Fund for financial assistance to teachers and librarians; and to our board of directors and the many individuals whose support allows young writers to join the Seminar and Writers' Workshop Program each year.
KWLS Scholarships for Writers: Application Guidelines
For your application to be considered, we will need the following:- A sample of your writing (no more than ten pages or five poems, attached as a separate Word document (.doc)).
- The names and email addresses of two people who are familiar with your writing and are willing to speak about you and your work. If possible, at least one of these should be a teacher. (Please tell these people we may be contacting them.)
- Your request for support, which should answer the following questions: Are you applying for financial support for the Seminar, the Workshop Program, or both? How much financial assistance do you require? What is the nature of your financial need? Do you also need help with lodging? How much can you afford to pay on your own? When do you need to know if you will be receiving assistance?
- A cover letter, in which you tell us about yourself, your interests, your educational background, and your writing. Tell us why you want to attend the Seminar and/or Workshop Program and what you hope to gain from the experience. Please tell us how you heard about KWLS and which core workshop, if any, would you like to attend.
KWLS Scholarships for Teachers & Librarians: Application Guidelines
For your application to be considered, we will need the following:- A cover letter, in which you tell us about yourself, your interests, and your educational background. Tell us about your professional role(s) and responsibilities. Tell us why you want to attend the Seminar, what you hope to get out of the experience, and how it will help in your professional life.
- Your request for support, which should answer the following questions: Are you applying for financial support for the Seminar, the Workshop Program*, or both? How much financial assistance do you require? Do you also need help with lodging? How much can you afford to pay on your own? What is your deadline for knowing if assistance is available?
- A letter of support from your principal or department head.
- The name and email address of one additional person who is familiar with you and your work. (Please let them know that we might be in touch.)
Deadline for all requests for financial assistance is September 30, 2009. Assistance will be awarded on a "rolling" basis until funds are depleted. We therefore encourage you to apply as early as possible. Incomplete applications will not be considered.