PEN Center USA launches the Mark Program

The PEN Center USA has announced a new endeavor, in conjunction with its Emerging Voices fellowship, called the Mark Program.

From the website:

The Mark is a rigorous manuscript finishing school for Emerging Voices alumni. Each year, the program offers two cycles, one for Fiction/Non-fiction and one for Poetry.

Three to four applicants will be chosen for each cycle. Project Defense, Mid-Term Review, and Final Review are all mandatory components of the program.

Project Defense will allow Mark faculty and PEN staff to learn more about the participants' projects. Participants should be prepared to answer a series of detailed questions regarding the creation and crafting of their manuscript, as well as their future goals for the project. Following the defense, the Mark faculty and PEN staff will prescribe goals for the manuscript and a workshop schedule. Participants will receive goals in writing. Informed by the defense, the participant will be encouraged to prepare for workshop.

As for the workshop, it "will meet every other week, for eighteen weeks. Workshop sessions are three hours in length." In addition, writers will participate in mid-term reviews with the Mark program faculty; these "will re-address the goals set out in the Project Defense and examine the participants' progress." At the final review, "the Mark faculty and PEN staff will be in attendance," and "the participants will present their projects and a discussion will follow. The Mark faculty will play a large role in this review, especially in regards to publishing and query advice."

More on program requirements, along with a faculty listing, can be found here.

Keep an eye on the blog, as poets (both participants and faculty) will write posts about their experiences with the program and different elements of craft.