The Mount, Straw Dog Writers Guild to Host 2023 Residencies

08:39AM / Sunday, September 18, 2022Print Story | Email Story

LENOX, Mass. — The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home, is collaborating with Western Massachusetts’ Straw Dog Writers Guild in 2023 to offer a unique residency experience for nine emerging writers.

Residencies will be for one week and include lodging at Brook Farm Inn in Lenox, a workspace at The Mount, breakfast, lunch, and a $500 stipend. The residencies run weekly from March 5 to March 25 and three writers will be selected for each week.

This will be the ninth year The Mount has offered writers an opportunity to create at The Mount and its second year partnering with Straw Dog Writers Guild. The revamped residency now focuses on writers who are developing their craft. There is no prerequisite for being published.

"The Mount was conceived as a private retreat by a writer on the verge of her literary ascent; in the 21st century, what better way to share Edith Wharton’s home and legacy than with an organization of writers devoted to supporting emerging voices," says Patricia Pin, Director of Public Programs at The Mount.

"In collaboration with The Mount, Straw Dog Writers Guild is honored to offer residencies to writers early in their careers. Just as Edith Wharton gained her early literary footing at The Mount, our contemporary emerging writers are offered the gift of support and our belief in them," said Jacqeline Sheehan, author and president of SDWG.

Additional information, including an online application, is at EdithWharton.org. Applications opened on Sept. 1 and will close on Oct. 1.

The $25 application fee will be waived for financial hardship and for Mount and Straw Dog members. Submissions are reviewed anonymously and ranked based on the following criteria: quality of writing, originality of voice, the potential for growth as a writer, and strength of the statement of purpose.

For additional information about the residency, please contact Patricia Pin at PPin@edithwharton.org.

Tags: The Mount, Writer Residency,

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State Wins $130M to Advance West-East Rail

03:03PM / Saturday, October 17, 2026

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Some $130 million in federal monies is being invested into passenger rail along the so-called Knowledge Corridor and for laying the groundwork to establish West-East Rail from Albany, N.Y., to Boston.

The funding for the Springfield Hub Modernization Project was announced on Friday by Gov. Maura Healey, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and U.S. Reps. Richard Neal and James McGovern.

The project is part of the state's Compass Rail vision, centered on Springfield Union Station and building on existing Amtrak Vermonter, Hartford Line and Valley Flyer service.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation was awarded the funding through the Federal Railroad Administration's Fiscal Years 2025-2026 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant program to support modernization of the rail infrastructure around Springfield Union Station.

"This is a major win for Western Massachusetts and a big step forward for West-East Rail," said Healey in a statement. "This $130 million investment in Springfield will help us improve transportation, reduce congestion and connect more communities to jobs, housing and economic opportunity. I'm grateful to Senators Markey and Warren, Congressmen Neal and McGovern, and all of our partners for helping us secure this critical funding and move us closer to expanded passenger rail service across Massachusetts."

The project will upgrade tracks, signals and other infrastructure to address a major rail bottleneck, reduce conflicts between freight and passenger trains, and allow more efficient operations and expanded rail service. This work is expected to improve on-time performance, reduce delays and provide more schedule flexibility for Amtrak Vermonter and Valley Flyer passengers. The project will also create capacity for future passenger rail service while reducing unnecessary train idling, emissions and operating costs.

"Building West-East rail is a once-in a-lifetime investment to connect Massachusetts' communities and our regional economies like never before. It will mean lower costs, less congestion, and access to opportunity for families across the state," said Markey. "I'm proud to have secured this $130 million in federal funding alongside Governor Healey, Senator Warren, Congressman Neal and Congressman McGovern, bringing our total federal investment to more than $280 million to date, which will build the track to this more affordable, cleaner, better connected future."

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