![]() ![]() “Writers often complain that society devalues our work. ![]() I want to live in a world where residencies and contests alike encourage new talent, not strip-mine rights from hopefuls just starting out,” she said. “This contract hits the most vulnerable part of our community - emerging writers - the hardest. The program feels more like a contest to promote Amtrak, Castleman said, rather than “the pure support for the arts” typically associated with residencies. The program has resonated with the writing community, but the response has not been unanimously positive. "It will also raise awareness of the many beautiful places that people can travel in America." “I am confident that the hum of the train traveling on the tracks will be relaxing, and that the never before seen desert, mountains and various landmarks will serve as an inspiration.” ![]() Brown has traveled by train before, including a cross-country trip on Amtrak, and said she hopes to take a new route. If chosen, Brown said she would work on two manuscripts: revising of a novel “Poppy Mayberry the Monday” for middle-school age children, and continuing to write a Shakespeare curse-inspired young adult novel. "This residency represents an opportunity to concentrate on my craft, to be really focused.” “I have a newborn baby at home,” she said, and between teaching and caring for her child in recent months, little time is left for creative pursuits. Brown, a 29-year-old high school English teacher from the Harrisburg area, is one of the many hopefuls. ![]()
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