How to Apply
The residency is open to poets and writers of all kinds, advanced in their careers or just setting out. Publication credits are not mandatory. Applicants may be individuals, couples (with or without children), or partnerships of two willing to live together in close quarters. Applicants will be judged on the quality and/or promise of their writing and their suitability to this unique situation.
The application cycle is biennial, occurring once every two years for the selection of two successive residents (and alternates). Applications are received between January 1st and March 15th in even numbered years: 2026 (for the 2027 and 2028 residencies), 2028 (for the 2029 and 2030 residencies), etc. In each cycle, two residents and two alternates are selected for the ensuing two residencies. Notifications occur by June 15th (even years).
Read and follow carefully.
Send three copies of each of the following three items:
A brief resume. (Three copies.)
A writing sample of up to 20 double-spaced pages of prose or 10 single-spaced pages of poetry. Twelve-point type, margins at least one inch. (Three copies.)
A letter of up to 600 words stating why this residency appeals to you and what experiences suit you for it. (Three copies.)
Couples or partners who are both writers may apply with the work of one or the work of both. If both, resumes for both should be submitted, and the writing sample should consist of up to 15 double-spaced pages of prose or 7 single-spaced pages of poetry per person. The letter may be jointly written, or each partner may write his or her own. These applications will be ranked at the level of the stronger of the two writers.
If you apply with an excerpt from a longer work such as a novel or memoir, attach to each copy of the manuscript a brief note about the work as a whole. If you wish to apply in more than one genre (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, childrens’/young adult literature, screenwriting/playwriting, graphic literature), you must make separate applications. You may cite a specific writing project you would like to undertake at Dutch Henry, but you are not required to do so. It is assumed that you will write. What you write is between you and the river.
Resume or letter should include your phone number and email address if you have one. Specify that you are applying for either 2027 or 2028, or both years. If both and you have a preference, state your preference.
Applications must include these two additional items:
1. An application fee of thirty dollars (fifty dollars for two-person applications), check or money order payable to Langdon Cook. (Langdon is a former resident who now supports the Boyden family in administration of the Residency.)
2. A standard-size stamped, self-addressed envelope for notification of application results. Application materials will not be returned.
International applicants may send application materials electronically as docx or pdf files. Fee must be mailed as U.S. cash or a check drawn on a U.S. bank. No money orders.
Early, late, or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Send completed applications to: Langdon Cook, 5015 52nd Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98144.
Applications for the next cycle must be postmarked between January 1, 2026 and March 15, 2026. Notification will occur by early June, 2026.
No information is available by telephone. Brief questions may be communicated via email to langdoncook@yahoo.com.
