Yesterday, I found out that I’d been awarded a Ragdale Foundation Fellowship for 2020. I still can’t quite believe it. This goes under the heading of Things I Never Dreamed Would Happen to Me. The foundation awards only up to 30 of these each year to a variety of artists. This 25-day residency outside of Chicago will give me time, space, and focus to work on a large project that means a great deal to me. I am particularly excited about this aspect of the Fellowship:
“The Ragdale Fellows represents a special cadre of visionary individuals who are doing remarkable work. Part of your fellowship requires participation in our Ragdale In Schools Program, wherein our selected fellows contribute to an outreach program that matches artists, authors, composers, and architects with the needs of regional classrooms. The program serves elementary, middle, high schools, and colleges in Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, North Chicago, Waukegan, Zion, and more.
Depending on the interests of our partnering schools, as well as your availability during specific residency dates, a program will be selected for you. These programs may take the form of an artist talk, workshop, or other program, allowing you to discuss your work directly with the students. As a Ragdale Fellow, you may also be featured as part of our Creative POV series, which documents our residents’ experience as a resident through a short video interview.”
I’m incredibly grateful and intend to make the most of this great opportunity.
On Monday, I begin a new round of my online classes. Two sessions of my original Fast Flash workshop, plus two of a newer, even faster version, Fast Flash 2.0, a weekend Flash Memoir class, and a three-week Flash Masterclass in November. Whew. I’ll also be serving as a thesis advisor for my MFA student at the Mile High MFA. It’s going to be a busy Fall!
I have used the relative “down time” these last few weeks to create a new Skillshare class and film it at the Skillshare offices in NYC. I’m looking forward to everything that’s coming up, teaching-wise, BUT I’m also following through on my vow to carve out more time for my own writing and projects. So to that end, in addition to the residency at Ragdale, I will be attending the University of Limerick Winter School in Doolin, Ireland the first week of December. I am so excited to make this trip and write and be a student under the tutelage of such wonderful mentors as Kit de Waal, Sarah Moore-Fitzgerald, Helen Thomas, Donal Ryan, and more. And, I mean, Ireland!
How absolutely fabulous!! So thrilled for you, my friend. Can’t wait to hear all about this “larger project.”
Will you be going to AWP? April is coming and we’re roomies again.
Sending all kinds of big love!
Thanks, Jayne! I really didn’t expect to get it!
I am planning on going to AWP, so let’s be sure to catch up.
We’ll have a lot to talk about pre-France!
Thanks for the love, Jayne, and back atcha! xo
Oh Kathy, huge congratulations! Was so pleased to read this news this morning – about your Fellowship, you go right ahead and believe it cos it’s real! And you’re coming to Ireland! Enjoy every minute and if you find yourself travelling round the country at all and heading up to Belfast please let me know – we have a large, comfortable spare room and you would be so welcome. Enjoy! Lucy
Thanks so much, Lucy! I’m really excited about the Fellowship and having all that time to focus. And regretfully, I didn’t build in extra time while in Ireland, so it’ll just be Doolin and the Shannon airport for me. I’ve always wanted to go there, Maybe I’ll get another chance to properly explore your beautiful country (thanks for the offer though!)