The Unexpected Shape Writing Academy Awards Fifteen Fellowships to Writers with Limitations in Need
exciting news and a small ask
The Unexpected Shape Writing Academy is thrilled to announce the recipients of its 2024 fellowships, recognizing fifteen exceptional writers with limitations in need.
This year’s fellowship awards are made possible through the generous support of Alice Wong, editor of Disability Visibility, who has funded ten Disability Visibility Fellowships for writers with disabilities, and Carli Cutchin, who has funded five Vanetta Cutchin Fellowships for writers with limitations.
These fellowships are awarded to writers who have demonstrated not only immense talent but also the courage to share their stories and unique perspectives with the world. The recipients will join The Unexpected Shape Writing Academy, an online institution dedicated to teaching personal nonfiction and memoir writing, where they will have the opportunity to develop their craft, connect with a community of like-minded individuals, and bring their literary projects to life.
The Disability Visibility Fellowships and Vanetta Cutchin Fellowships represent a vital commitment to amplifying the voices of writers with limitations.
We are honored to support these writers as they explore and share their stories. Their work will not only enrich our Academy but also contribute to a broader literary landscape that platforms diverse and authentic narratives.
The Unexpected Shape Writing Academy offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to empower writers to tell their own stories with authenticity and depth. Through its focus on personal nonfiction and memoir writing, the Academy provides an inclusive space where all voices, especially those often marginalized, are nurtured and celebrated.
About the Fellowship Recipients:
Disability Visibility Fellowships (10): Sponsored by Alice Wong, these fellowships are awarded to writers with disabilities who have shown exceptional promise in their creative work. These fellows will explore topics ranging from personal memoirs to narratives that challenge societal perceptions of disability.
Recipients of the Disability Visibility Fellowships are:
Lily Orion, whose project The Black Endometriosis Experience combines memoir, historical analysis, epistemological criticism, and visual art to explore the author’s experience with endometriosis.
Jenn Deerinwater, a disabled, queer, Cherokee Nation citizen and a journalist who has covered pipeline fights and environmental destruction.
Anne McHugh who is writing a memoir about being pushed out of K12 education as a chronically ill teacher.
Andrea Metheney, whose experience as a disabled sex worker to people with mental and physical disabilities that hinder their ability to be intimate is exploring both the shame in this work, and the important need for it to exist.
Amelia-Marie Altstadt, who is writing about her experience growing up as the child of disabled adults, both wheelchair users, as well as helping her father, Gary, write his true-crime memoir.
Amber Jackson, an emerging author starting to tell her story from the perspective of being a single, Black female who only obtained diagnoses for her disabilities well into adulthood.
Rikki Poynter, a deaf author telling the story of her abusive childhood and growing up deaf.
Taryn Goodwin, a community organizer and social practice artist devoted to creating a new, disability-inclusive vernacular around job postings and the job application process for disabled jobseekers.
Emmett Patterson, an emerging trans male author developing a voice with which to write about disabled, trans experience, history, and ways of being.
Ola Ojewumi, an experienced writer turning now to writing both her memoir about coming to terms with being disabled, becoming a wheelchair user, and the highs and lows of living with a disability while working on Capitol Hill; and a book on Black disabled history in the United States.
Vanetta Cutchin Fellowships (5): Sponsored by Carli Cutchin, these fellowships are awarded to writers with limitations who have compelling stories to share. These fellows will delve into projects that reflect their unique experiences and perspectives, enriching the Academy’s vibrant community of writers.
Recipients of the Vanetta Cutchin Fellowships are:
Elizabeth Kim, a deaf Korean-American author with bilateral cochlear implants, driven to begin writing stories from the perspective of her own identity.
Leslie Contreras Schwartz, former Houston Poet Laureate, who is turning her exceptional skill to writing a memoir of her experience mothering with disabilities.
Gary Altstadt, a new writer telling the true crime story of the triple murder he survived but which left him quadriplegic, and his experience as a disabled person in the pre-ADA world.
Tangina Stone, an emerging author surviving medial debt and stage 4 endometriosis to write her book Thicker Than Water, about the significance of blood ties within Black families.
Michele Brose, who is writing a graphic novel script for Adventures in Life Support, based on her experience as a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic stemming from a rare neuromuscular disease. The only person in the world with the particular genetic variation of her disease, Michele writes with an eye-tracking system.
The Unexpected Shape Writing Academy is committed to fostering a supportive and enriching environment where writers can thrive. As these fellows embark on their creative journeys, they will receive mentorship, access to an extensive curriculum, and the opportunity to engage in a dynamic community of writers.
About The Unexpected Shape Writing Academy:
The Unexpected Shape Writing Academy is a premier online writing school offering a full curriculum in personal nonfiction and memoir writing. Founded with the mission to support and amplify the voices of writers living with limitations, the Academy provides a nurturing environment where all writers are encouraged to explore their stories and develop their craft. With a focus on inclusivity and authenticity, The Unexpected Shape Writing Academy is dedicated to shaping the next generation of writers who challenge, inspire, and transform the literary landscape. More information about the Academy can be found at
http://www.unexpectedshapeacademy.com
One last thing…!!!
Going through hundreds of qualified applicant, most of whom are at the poverty line, helped me realized that we need ongoing funding.
Hence: a GoFundMe to allow people to donate small or big amounts for the goal of creating 10 more fellowships at six months each to ambitious writers with limitations in need.
Please donate at: members.esmewang.com/donate and spread the word.
I love you all. Thank you.
For more information, please contact:
Dan Stephensen at dan@esmewang.com