1990 - Peter Matthiessen
1991 - Peter Matthiessen
1992 - Wendell Berry
1993 - Gretel Ehrlich
1994 - Annick Smith /
Terry Tempest Williams
1995 - Wendell Berry
1996 - Richard Nelson
1997 - Richard Nelson
1998 - Rick Bass
1999 - William Kittredge
2000 - Rick Bass
2001 - Scott Russell Sanders
2002 - Robert Michael Pyle
2003 - John Elder
2004 - David James Duncan
2005 - Janisse Ray &
   Kim Todd & Phil Condon
2006 - Sharman Apt Russell
2007 - Alison Hawthorne Deming

Along with a completed application (printable below), send a single nonfiction prose manuscript of from 2000 to 3000 words (12pt font, double-spaced)--either an essay, or essay excerpt.  Also, please include a brief resume/bio (max. 1 page) to help us get a sense of your background and interests (your resume/bio will be shared with other participants and leader).  Send materials any time between Jan 1 and March 15, 2009.  Early applications are encouraged.  We will acknowledge receipt of your application immediately by email.  There is no application fee.

The manuscript submitted should be the one you want to work on with 2009 EWI leader Elizabeth Grossman and fellow participants during the Institute, receiving constructive criticism, encouragement, editorial advice, and revision suggestions. The manuscript should be unpublished and intended for a general audience readership (no strictly academic, scholarly, or technical papers, please).

The Institute invites and looks for writers working in personal, narrative, and/or place-based essay, natural history, science interpretation, and other environmentally-oriented or connected concerns. If you have questions about topic or approach, by all means, ask, but the field (and our door) is open.

All applicants will be informed by April 1, 2009, whether they have been admitted, designated as alternates, or not admitted. Each participant (and the EWI leader) will receive copies of all the accepted manuscripts during the following weeks so everyone will have ample time to read each others’ works before arriving.

A registration fee of $400 covers four days of the conference (Wed late afternoon through Sun mid-afternoon), including 4 morning writing workshops, a brief individual writing conference with Elizabeth, and other activities to be announced.  Registration fee covers only Wednesday dinner and Sunday lunch.  For other meals, many restaurants with diverse menus and prices are located in downtown Missoula and near campus.

Participants can stay at any number of hotels, motels, and B&Bs in or near downtown Missoula l (rates from $50-100+/night): see Missoula COC website.

In addition to EWI activities included in registration fee, many other diverse recreational and social opportunities are available in MIssoula and western MT before, during, and after the Institute.  The University of Montana campus is only blocks from downtown along the Clark Fork River walking trails.  Explore links and references on the About the Institute page of this site, and inquire if you have any questions.

Full payment of $400 (check or credit card) is required by April 15, 2009.  Refunds in the case of cancellation, less $50, are available after May 1 if we fill your spot. 

Participants from far outside the region usually fly to Missoula, where they are met, picked up, and driven to and from downtown--a 10 minute drive.

APPLICATION FORM (Web version)

Application Checklist:

Questions? For questions or concerns re the Application, Manuscript, or Payment,
contact EWI Director Phil Condon:

phil.condon@mso.umt.edu
or phone 406.243.2904
or mail c/o EVST Dept, University of Montana, Missoula MT 59812

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