About the Residency
Since 1977, The Frost Place has housed a resident poet during the summer at Robert Frost’s former home in Franconia, NH.
The Dartmouth Poet in Residence program at The Frost Place is a month-long residency in poet Robert Frost’s former farmhouse, a museum and center for poetry and the arts, which sits on a quiet country lane with spectacular views. The program began in 1977, and has been sponsored by Dartmouth College since 2012.
The residency begins July 1 and includes an award of $2,000 from Dartmouth College. The recipient of the Dartmouth Poet-in-Residence at The Frost Place will have an opportunity to give a series of public readings across the region, including at Dartmouth College, The Frost Place and Abbie Greenleaf Library. There are no other specific obligations. We hope that the residency offers space and time for significant poetic work.
Accommodations are spartan but comfortable. The Frost Place Museum is open to the public during afternoon hours, and the resident poet has sole use of non-public rooms of the house.
Previous recipients of this residency include Mark Cox, Christopher Gilbert, Rigoberto González, Mark Halliday, Robert Hass, Major Jackson, Laura Kasischke, Cleopatra Mathis, William Matthews, Katha Pollitt, Mary Ruefle, and Luci Tapahonso. See the complete list here.
To be eligible, applicants must have published at least one full-length collection of poetry at the time of submission. Submitted poems must be written in English. The aim of this program is to select a poet who is at an artistic and personal crossroads, comparable to that faced by Robert Frost when he moved to Franconia in 1915, when he was not yet known to a broad public.
We are pleased to return to a contest to find our 2026 resident poet! Application dates are from October 15, 2025, through January 15, 2026. Matthew Olzmann, poet and Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing at Dartmouth College, will be the final judge. The winner will be announced on or around April 15, 2026.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
“Where is the residency?”
The residency will occur at The Frost Place, Robert Frost’s former farmhouse, which is today a house museum and center for poetry and the arts, located at 158 Ridge Road, Franconia, New Hampshire 03580.
“Can I bring family?”
The residency is for a single person. In the past, some poets have had their family or friends visit occasionally. The residency is designed so that the poet in residence can focus on their project; leaving social and familial demands behind may provide space for significant poetic work.
“What is the property like?”
The Frost Place is a rural environment on a hilly plot of land. The house dates to the 1850s, and it has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976. With slopes and uneven terrain outside, and stairs outside and inside, the property may not be easily navigated for those with mobility issues.
The house is somewhat small and sparse, best suited for one person. There is a full bed upstairs and a queen bed downstairs. Downstairs, there is one bathroom with a small shower and a clawfoot tub. There is no TV, radio, dishwasher, AC, heat, or on-site laundry. Wi-Fi is available. Some cellphone users may have better coverage than others. Although the house has neighbors, the darkness along Ridge Road at night can be absolute— and sublime.
Public transportation is virtually nonexistent in this area, so having a car for grocery shopping, laundry, and other trips is essential.
Parts of the house and property are a working museum open to the public, but the poet has use of the private areas, including the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and two bedrooms. Although some areas are marked as private, there’s nog complete visual separation between public and private spaces. Docents will need to enter the poet’s quarters (kitchen and living room) to open and close the museum for visitors. Visitor foot traffic on the property can be frequent, as tourists and neighbors may drop by even when the museum is closed to enjoy the grounds and the view from the front porch.
Wildlife is common in the area. Black bears, deer, porcupines, groundhogs, chipmunks, red squirrels, toads, bats, mice, and many insects are often seen. While we have made every effort to ensure that there is no wildlife inside the house, given the age and location, mice and bugs are not out of the question. We ask for the resident’s understanding in advance: we will work to eliminate any such problems should they occur during your stay.
“Are the residency dates flexible?”
The residency is one month, beginning on July 1. The dates are somewhat flexible, but the reading series requires the poet to attend.
“When is the reading series?”
We will schedule readings at Abbie Greenleaf Library in Franconia, NH, and Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH with your input. The latter is scheduled to coincide with the Dartmouth summer term. Robert Frost Day will be celebrated at The Frost Place on the first Sunday in July, and the poet in residence will be featured as a reader at that time.