Poetry Application

Welcome to the Application Page for the 2023 Community of Writers Poetry Workshop

Admissions are based on submitted manuscripts.

If you have trouble with the online application, please contact us.
(530) 470-8440

Before you get started, make sure you have created a PDF or a Word.doc of your application manuscript. See Applications Guidelines.

2023 Poetry Workshop Application

Please complete and submit the form below. Make sure you receive an email notification that your application has been received. Please note that all online payments are subject to a service charge. To avoid the service charge, you may send a check instead.

Contact Information
Please give us all your current contact information.
Prefix
- Ms.
- Mr.
- Mrs.
- Mx.
- Dr.
Name*
Please don't enter your middle name unless you use it commonly. If you prefer to use an initial, please enter it in the Middle Name field.
First Middle Last
Address*
Street Address City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country
Email*
Day Phone
Evening Phone
Cell Phone
Covid Vaccination Status*
The Community of Writers will do everything in our power to keep our participants and staff safe from Covid this summer. To apply to the Community of Writers onsite workshops, please indicate your vaccination status. The Community of Writers will only consider applications from writers who have been fully vaccinated.
If you are invited to attend, we will require photographic proof of vaccination status. Please review our policies here: https://communityofwriters.org/health-at-the-community-of-writers/
- Fully Vaccinated and Boosted
- Fully Vaccinated
Photograph
If it is easy, please upload a photo of yourself.
Max. file size: 50 MB.
How did you first hear about the Community of Writers?*
- Word of mouth
- Social Media
- Advertising
- Postcard or Flier
- Internet Search
What inspired you to apply THIS YEAR?*
- Word of mouth
- Social Media
- Advertising
- Postcard or Flier
- Internet Search
- Writers Annex
- My personal goals
Attendance
Please indicate if you have attended in the past, and if so, what year(s) you attended.
Are you a Summer Workshops returnee?*
- This would be my first time
- I attended the Poetry Workshop
- I attended the Writers Workshops
- I attended the Screenwriting Workshop
- I attended the Art of the Wild Workshop
- I attended Writing the Medical Experience
Year(s) Attended
If you can't remember the year(s), you can indicate that as well.
Returning Poet Lottery
If you attended the Poetry Workshop in the past, and you have taken at least two years off, you may enter the Returning Poet Lottery. To enter the Lottery, submit this form and pay your tuition deposit by the application deadline. If you aren't selected in the Lottery, your deposit will be refunded.
Lottery*
Please indicate your preference below.
- Enter me in the Returning Poet Lottery
Are you applying to another program as well?*
- No
- Fiction
- Narrative/Memoir
Afternoon Sessions with Sharon Olds
Sharon Olds will lead an optional Special Afternoon Session for 10 participants. Sessions will meet two times in the late afternoon for 75 minutes. Work read in Sharon’s Afternoon Sessions should be work written earlier in the week. Participants will have an opportunity to have 2 poems treated during the week. Suggested donation for the Special Workshop is $200. Proceeds, after expenses (housing + travel) will be donated to the Poetry Scholarship Fund. This workshop will be filled on a first request basis. (Olds will not be leading regular morning sessions.)
Indicate your interest in Sharon's Special Workshop*
Once admissions decisions are made, we will notify those who expressed interest regarding enrollment. Expressing interest does not obligate you to participate.
- No
- Yes, I'm interested in Sharon's Afternoon Sessions.
Financial Aid
Please indicate here if you will be requesting Financial Aid. Financial aid is limited and is donated by former participants and friends. Part of our mission as an organization is to ensure that all who are qualified to attend the workshops can do so. We would kindly request that you do not request aid if you can fund the workshops yourself or can find other funding sources. However, if you do need financial aid, please do fill out this form, which provides us with valuable information for assigning our limited funds. Most financial awards are in the form of a partial tuition waiver.
Financial Aid
Select "No" if you don't need financial aid to attend.
- No
- Financial aid would help.
- Cannot attend without financial aid.
Financial Need
To evaluate your need for funds, we ask you for a few pieces of information about your financial situation. We will, of course, keep all of this information completely confidential. We know that costs of living vary greatly depending on where you live and your particular situation. Please round figures to the nearest dollar.
Adjusted Gross Income (Household Income)
You should be able to find this on your last year’s tax form. If you did not file taxes, simply write, "did not file," and estimate your income. Please round figures to the nearest dollar.
Mortgage or Rent Payment
Monthly Mortgage or Rent Payment
Utilities
Childcare or Eldercare
Monthly childcare or eldercare expenses
Anticipated cost of travel
We know that travel costs are also a big part of the cost of attending, and we want to consider them as part of your financial aid request. It is okay to estimate. **Only indicate air or land travel costs. Do not include accommodations or food during the week.**
Special Scholarship
If you are applying for one of our special scholarships please use the space below for your essay or paragraph as required. Limit 500 words. These scholarships are open to poets who have never attended before.
Special Scholarship Name
Please indicate the special scholarship for which you are applying. You will also be considered for financial aid whether you complete this field or not.
Special Scholarship Text
A few of our scholarships require a paragraph to apply. Only submit text here if the Special Scholarship you are requesting requires it.
Financial Aid Requested
Please indicate the MINIMUM amount of financial aid you think you would need to attend. In other words, if you received any less than this amount, you would not be able to attend. (Our biggest concern is to ensure that our limited financial aid funds can cover the minimum need for invited participants.) Our tuition aid ranges from $600 to $1450 for tuition. A limited amount of housing aid may be available for shared housing as well ($150-$550). No travel monies are available.
Please enter a number from 0 to 2000.
Work Waiver
We offer a few participants $125 - $175 off the cost of their housing in exchange for working during the week of the Writers Workshop.

If interested in more information, indicate it below.
Work Waiver
- Work Waiver
- No Thanks
Please Indicate Work Interests/Abilities
- Morning Poem Printing/Copying
- Light Food Prep and Service
- Moving and Setting Up Tables & Chairs
- Light Cleaning/Tidying Workshop and Craft Talk Spaces
- Driving (short trips within the Valley or to Tahoe City/Truckee)
- Strike the Set! Stay Late and Help Us Move Out
- Photography (must have basic qualifications/background)
Tell Us More
Please tell us more about your financial situation, including any special circumstances. Your paragraph should help us understand your need for financial aid. Any information provided is entirely confidential and will only be used to more equitably allocate aid.
Financial Aid Notes
Submissions
Submissions should be uploaded with this online form. If this isn't possible, please mail a copy to the Nevada City address. All submissions must be received by the deadline.
Attach a Word Document of your submission*
Please name your file: 2023_LastName_First Initial_PoetryApp_Ms. No cover sheet is required. Make sure you are only uploading one document. Example: 2023_Clifton_L_PoetryApp_Ms.PDF Only 1 document can be uploaded.
Accepted file types: doc, docx, txt, rtf, pages, pdf, Max. file size: 50 MB.
Notes
Please tell us any additional information you need us to know that wasn't asked in this form. For instance:
-Special needs or requests.
-Spring traveling schedule.
-Upcoming address changes.
Signature
By signing below, I acknowledge that the above information is true and complete to the best of my knowledge.
Applicant Signature (Type Name)*
Date*
MM slash DD slash YYYY
Checking Out
You are almost there!
Pay $35 Application Fee
There are two easy ways to pay your Application Fee:

1) You may mail a check with your contact information to the Nevada City address. Checks should be made out to: Community of Writers.

2) To pay online please enter your credit card information to complete your purchase. A 3.2% service charge applies.
Application Fee
Price:
Pay $800 Tuition Deposit to enter the Returning Poet Lottery
There are several ways to pay your Tuition Deposit:

1) You may mail a check with your contact information to the Nevada City address. Checks should be made out to: Community of Writers.

2) To pay online please enter your credit card information to complete your purchase. A 3.2% service charge applies.

2) You may use PayPal, however a 3.2% service fee applies.
If you are not selected for the lottery, your deposit will be refunded.
Tuition Deposit
Price:
Check Out
Payment Method*
- Credit Card
- PayPal
- Check
3.2% Service Charge
Price: $0.00
Check Out
Payment Method*
- Credit Card
- PayPal
- Check
3.2% Service Charge
Price: $0.00
Total
$0.00
Credit Card
Card Details
Cardholder Name
PAYPAL
Once you submit this form, a PayPal window will open. Please log in as usual, and pay through PayPal. Thank you.
Checking Out
Once you click the "SUBMIT" button, do not navigate back. Because you are uploading your manuscript, the process may take a few minutes. Please be patient. Thanks.
PLEASE NOTE
We will follow up with a confirmation email as well. IF YOU DON'T RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION EMAIL FROM US IMMEDIATELY, PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING TO ASSURE RECEIPT OF YOUR APPLICATION:
1) Check your junk mail or promotions tab. Gmail users: Please drag the email to your inbox to train Gmail to deliver our emails to the correct place.
2) If you don't find an email confirmation, please get in touch, asap.
Thanks so much!