The mission of Write On, Door County is to inspire readers and writers of all ages at all stages. Our 59-acre campus on Wisconsin's northeast peninsula is a place of inspiration, encouragement, and support. In addition to our residency program, we provide programs throughout the county as well as online.
Write On, Door County is pleased to offer the Theodore B. Olson Memorial Fellowship to a writer whose work focuses on how equal protection under the law is an inherent, sacred right belonging to all of our citizens and must therefore be robustly protected and applied. For if any right or any protection is denied to any one of us, then it is at risk of being denied to any one or all of us.
Applications for the Theodore B. Olson Memorial Fellowship are accepted from writers--emerging to established--working in any genre, including journalism. The fellowship includes a two-week residence at Write On in late August/early September each year. For 2027, the dates are Sunday, September 5 through Sunday, September 19. The fellowship will provide a stipend of $700 along with funds to assist with travel and a grocery allowance.
The selected writer will participate in a public event to be arranged in consultation with Write On's Artistic Director during the time of the residency.
Eligibility Requirements
- The fellowship is open to both published and unpublished writers.
- Writers must be at least 21 years of age.
- Writers may be currently enrolled in a graduate writing program.
- Writers must have a demonstrated interest in writing that addresses equal protection under the law for all.
Eligible Writing Categories
- Academic/scholarly work
- Children's literature (picture books through Young Adult)
- Creative nonfiction
- Fiction
- Graphic fiction/nonfiction
- Journalism
- Memoir
- Personal essay
- Playwriting
- Poetry
- Screenwriting
- Song writing
- Translation
Submission Requirements
- Submit 10-15 pages of a work sample that demonstrates your writing in the area of equal protection. Excerpts of longer works are acceptable. (Picture book writers, please submit at least three pages.)
- Submit a statement of no more than one page about your writing and commitment to equal protection under the law.
- Include a list of publications, if any, highlighting appropriate examples to the area of equal protection.
- Include a one-paragraph biographical statement.
Entry Fee: $40.00
Deadline: November 1, 2026.
About Theordore B. Olson
A towering figure in the legal profession, Theodore (Ted) B. Olson argued 65 cases at the United States Supreme Court as the 42nd Solicitor General and as a private lawyer. He had a penetrating intellect and was universally respected and widely regarded as one of the premier legal minds of our time.
Ted was a life-long visitor to Door County and a generous friend to Write On since the organization began in 2013. He was a man of strength, humility, and grace who had an unfathomable respect for the sanctity of the law and the rights of people those laws were intended to protect.
We're taught from an early age that we are all Americans, linked by the fundamental promise expressed most vividly and unforgettably in the Declaration of Independence that 'all men are created equal.' However different we may look or behave on the surface we are equally entitled to our nation's promise of freedom and happiness. - from "Why I Took the Case," chapter two of Redeeming the Dream: The Case for Marriage Equality by David Boies and Theodore B. Olson
The Friends of Lorine Niedecker and Write On, Door County are pleased to present the 2027 Lorine Niedecker Writing Fellowship. The fellowship is offered every two years to an emerging or established poet familiar with the work of the 20th century American poet. The purpose of the fellowship is to encourage research into Niedecker's life and writing, and to promote new work that deals with the poetry of place.
The fellowship consists of a two-week residency, to be divided between Write On, Door County and Niedecker's hometown of Fort Atkinson. The fellowship comes with a $1,000 stipend, a travel grant of up to $800, a $200 food stipend, and lodging. The residency dates are May 2 - 16, 2027.
Eligibility Requirements Applicants must show an understanding of and appreciation of Lorine Niedecker's work and her place in 20th century poetics, as well as a publishing history, whether in literary journals/magazines, a full-length book, chapbook, monograph or academic articles.
The recipient of the fellowship is expected to conduct a public program in both Door County and Fort Atkinson, as well as write an essay for the Solitary Plover, a publication of the Friends of Lorine Niedecker.
Submission Requirements
Submit 10-12 pages of poetry.
Submit a 300-500-word statement of purpose, indicating your interest in and familiarity with the work of Lorine Niedecker and the poetics of place.
Submit an intellectual autobiography/curriculum vitae.
Submit a listing of publications.
Submit two letters of references which address your interest in Niedecker's work and the poetics of place as well as the benefit of the fellowship on your development as a writer. DEADLINE: December 15, 2026. ENTRY FEE: $40.00 RESIDENCY DATES: Sunday, May 2 through Sunday, May 16. The first week will be spent at Write On, Door County; the second week in Fort Atkinson.