About the Residency
Since 1977, The Frost Place has housed a resident poet during the summer months 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, which sits on a quiet north-country lane with a spectacular view of the White Mountains, and serves as a museum and conference center. The program has existed since 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 and The Frost Place. 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, but 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.
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.
To be eligible, applicants must have published at least one full-length collection of poetry at the time of submission. Nominations were made by Patricia Smith in 2024, with final selection with TFP’s Dartmouth Liaison, Professor Vievee Francis.
Frequently Asked Questions
“Can I bring family?”
There are no rules about family; but the residency is for a single person. The resident poet may bring a friend or family, but the house is quite small and best suited for one person, a writer. There is a single bedroom downstairs and a room upstairs reserved for the poet’s use, but not a tremendous amount of space. There is no dishwasher and there are no laundry facilities. The Frost Place is a very rustic environment. Also, the house is a working museum open to the public. In the past, most poets have chosen to have their family visit on occasion but have chosen not to have them stay for long periods of time. Finally, the residency is designed so that the poet in residence can focus on their project. Leaving social and familial demands behind gives space for the work.
“Are the residency dates flexible?”
The residency dates are somewhat flexible but the reading series requires the poet’s attendance. The residency can be extended but can’t begin much before July 1.
When is the reading series?”
The reading series begins in July and includes a reading at the Abbie Greenleaf Library in Franconia and the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum in St. Johnsbury, VT. The other readings, scattered throughout the summer, are associated with The Frost Place poetry programs. The final reading, at Dartmouth College, is scheduled to coincide with the Dartmouth summer term.
“Do the submitted poems have to be from my most recent, published book?”
The poems you submit in your application can be either from your most recent book or from a project you wish to work on.
“Can I resubmit the biographical statement I wrote for a previous application?”
Biographical statements submitted should be up to date. Projects and their status change from one year to the next as do circumstances. Any essay submitted to the Frost Place should reflect current situations, statuses, and information.
“How should letters of recommendation be submitted?”
A single document containing the contact information listed below for two references should be attached to your application:
- Name
- Title
- Contact Email
- Contact Telephone Number
- Contact Postal Address
- Nature and Length of Relationship
We are not accepting applications at this time, but please feel free to direct any further questions to frost@frostplace.org.