Mary Withers Rural Writing Fellowship

SUMMARY

The Mary Withers Rural Writing Fellowship is an opportunity for college journalists or recent graduates to spend a summer on a Kentucky farm working on long-form, narrative articles chronicling rural America and published in the Louisville Courier-Journal. The winner of the fellowship spends three months in Boyd’s Station, a historic family farm in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass region. Fellows share a house in Boyd’s Station with college photographers who are also grant recipients. They have access to office space in the Boyd’s Station Gallery in Cynthiana, Kentucky (about 20 minutes away). All fellows will work on separate projects but will have the opportunity to collaborate occasionally. 

APPLICATION DEADLINE: JAN. 20, 2026

WHEN + WHERE

The Mary Withers Rural Writing Fellow is expected to be in Harrison County, Kentucky, for a continuous three-month period during the summer. Fellows are free to travel for personal reasons, but we encourage them to stay in Kentucky as much as possible. Exact dates will be determined by the fellow’s availability.

WRITING EXPECTATIONS

Fellows are expected to develop, report, and write two to three longform, enterprise news articles each summer. Boyd’s Station has a partnership with the Louisville Courier-Journal, whose editors revise the final drafts and publish the articles. Beyond those articles, the fellow is welcome to develop and write any other pieces that we will help publish in whatever outlet is ideal for that particular piece. 

OVERSIGHT 

Alan Gomez, a former reporter and bureau chief for USA Today, is the director of the fellowship and serves as the mentor/editor. He helps the fellow develop their story ideas, plot their reporting course, and edits drafts of each article. Alan does not live in Kentucky, so fellows must be motivated self-starters who can thrive without constant supervision.

PAYMENT

The fellow is awarded a $3,000 grant and free housing for the summer. They are also reimbursed for expenses related directly to their reporting, including gas. The only requirement is that the fellow have a car as reporting in Harrison County is impossible without one. If a fellow fails to meet the basic requirements of the fellowship, the grant money can be forfeited.