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THE BASICS
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What is/has been going on with your website? This is legit, right? Is this legit?
This is legit. This will be our fifth summer gathering writers to do [something] at Paul Smith’s specifically, and Kettle Pond staff have more than four decades (? – we’ve honestly lost track) of experience running writing conferences and other literary events, both together and individually. We do not have four decades of experience building websites, though; we are ​very sorry about this. We assure you they are largely unrelated skills.
In any case, the old website wished to join the [Waxing Gibbous] Moon in Kettle Pond. Thank you so much for your patience. Please contact conference staff if you don’t find what you are looking for on the new site as we continue our work updating it.
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Okay, cool. When is the 2024 Conference at Kettle Pond Writers’?
The 2024 conference [took] place June 22 - 29 (Saturday – Saturday).
Dates for the 2025 conference at Kettle Pond will be posted in the fall. Please check back for more details.
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When are applications due?
We have just wrapped up our 2024 conference and all applications are currently closed. Dates for Kettle Pond 2025 as well as application deadlines will be posted in the fall and will include both Priority and Final Deadlines. Any information below reflects our 2024 application and admissions process, and has been left live for any interested writers who would like to get a sense of how applying to Kettle Pond tends to work. Please forgive any inconsistencies in dates, timing, or tenses until next year's details are posted.
Priority Applicants will be given preference in registering for any workshops with participation caps once workshop descriptions are posted, though all admitted writers will be guaranteed the opportunity to attend a workshop. We encourage all interested writers to fill out our (always free) application as soon as they are able. It's nearly painless and you already know all the answers, we promise.
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That’s... really soon?
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True, true. The Website, mortality, other calamities.
We strongly encourage all interested writers to submit their applications as soon as they are able to ensure access to their preferred workshops, as well as for the best chance to be awarded fellowships if they are in need of financial support. Much as we'd love to burn more midnight oil, there are logistical reasons we can only push our deadlines out so far, and space in campus facilities remains limited.
We can assure you that other writers have been applying during the relaunch, somehow. We support this, and would love to read your work, too. Here's a link to the application page. Fellowship information can be found here.
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All right... where is Kettle Pond? How do I get there?
The Kettle Pond Writers’ Conference is happy to call Paul Smith’s College our home. Paul Smith’s is located within the Adirondack Park in upstate New York ~13 miles from Saranac Lake and 20 miles from Lake Placid, NY.
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How much does the conference cost?
Please see information on tuition here.
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What is included in conference tuition?
Tuition includes room and board for the entire week, all programmed events, and access to campus academic and recreational facilities. Enrollment in some workshops will be limited, but all accepted writers will be ensured access to at least one workshop. Tuition is designed to be all-inclusive to allow writers to fully immerse themselves in the experience of the conference.
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Are scholarships or fellowships available?
Yes, Kettle Pond offers need-based fellowship support. Writers in need of financial assistance should visit our fellowships page for further information.
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Who are the 2024 faculty?
We encourage all interested writers to take a look at our faculty page. This page lists both current and previous faculty at Kettle Pond. ​
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APPLYING
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Is there an application fee?
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No. Kettle Pond is committed to removing as many barriers to access for our writing community as possible. In keeping with this philosophy, we pledge to never charge an application fee.
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When are manuscripts due?
A (brief) writing sample or project proposal is required of new applicants as part of the conference application. Our workshop model continues to be entirely generative in 2024. As such, complete manuscripts are not required in advance to attend our workshops.
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I have attended Kettle Pond before. Did I see somewhere that I don't need to submit a writing sample/project proposal if I apply for KP24?
We can't know if or where you saw it, but that is correct. Writers returning to Kettle Pond are not required to submit writing samples or project proposals as part of their applications, though we would love to know what you're working on, or plan to work on, during the conference if you're willing to share.
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​How do I apply for fellowship support?
Information on financial assistance can be found here.
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​On what qualifications are offers of fellowship support based?
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Fellowship awards at Kettle Pond are entirely need-based. Because our goal is rooted in community-building, and we are still building that community, we do not offer merit-based financial assistance at this time.
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​I'm just seeing this – I missed the posted deadline for the conference and/or fellowship application. Can I still apply?
Maybe! We’re sticking with a rolling submissions model for 2024. Please contact us directly with any questions if you would like to apply after posted deadlines. Conference staff will get back to you about the possibility of joining a waitlist or any space that may have become available as admitted writers finalize their plans.
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LIFE at KETTLE POND
​Will I be able to buy books during the conference? Will I be able to get them signed?
​Absolutely! Books will be available for sale most evenings during social hours following faculty readings. Because Kettle Pond is a community-focused event, we don't facilitate formal book signings to allow for more informal interactions between all of our writers. We do offer book sales every evening, and residents are welcome to ask our faculty and visiting readers to sign books during that time.
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​This is really long.
Yes. We’ve been doing this a while, so this is all here not only to answer your questions, which we are always happy to do, but to help things run much more smoothly on the ground, which supports our art, and helps offset the inevitable, unforeseen Thing that tends to come up when planning large events for writers. You may go if you wish. We encourage you to go apply, but of course this is up to you.
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How will housing arrangements be made? May I request [something] related to housing?
Housing assignments will be made based on responses to the Registration Form, which will be distributed following admission to the conference. The Registration Form will allow accepted writers to specify a number of preferences regarding housing arrangements. We are generally able to accommodate requests made in advance. More information on campus housing can be found here.
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I live in the area or don’t wish to stay on campus. Is this an option?
Yes, local writers and those interested in arranging their own housing nearby are welcome to attend. More information can be found on our tuition page.
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​I won’t be staying on campus. Will I still have access to campus facilities?
Yes, all enrolled writers will have access to all events and campus facilities.
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​Is there cell phone service on campus?
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That depends. Writers with Verizon service plans will generally have service throughout Paul Smith's campus, where all conference events take place. AT&T customers will have more limited service. Those with other carriers may not have service on campus or in the area at all.
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Paul Smith's College has free and open wifi throughout the main campus, and writers without service may be able to connect to wifi to make calls or send messages. We encourage writers who may be working with limited or no cell service to think of this as a blessing rather than a curse; we know firsthand that it can enhance the creative impact of the experience.
Emergency phones are located near all campus buildings and connect directly to Campus Safety, who can contact either Kettle Pond staff or emergency services 24/7.
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​Is there internet on campus?
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Yes; wifi is open and free throughout Paul Smith's College campus, including conference housing, the dining hall, and all conference venues except the Forestry Cabin, which is only used on Friday evening.
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I have dietary restrictions. Can you accommodate them?
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Most likely, yes. Kettle Pond can accommodate all dietary restrictions except Kosher, and even in that case, maybe. Kosher applicants are welcome to make use of kitchens in campus housing and should contact us directly for more details.
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Are conference facilities barrier-free?
All venues that will be used for the conference have barrier free-access (with the exception of the Forestry Cabin, which can be made barrier-free upon advance request). Please contact our staff or note your needs in your application to ensure we are able to accommodate you. Some more basic information on accessibility on campus can be found here.
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May I bring my pet?
Pets are not allowed in campus housing. Writers who plan to bring pets should make alternate housing arrangements and contact Kettle Pond directly for pricing that does not include housing, as well as information on campus facilities and events where pets may be welcome.
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Can you accommodate my service animal in campus housing?
Of course. All service animals are welcome at the conference, and in campus housing and most other facilities. On-campus housing guarantees private rooms for all of our writers. Our resident writer housing is arranged in pods of four writers with shared communal spaces (kitchen, living room, two bathrooms for each pod). We believe these spaces can help build our creative community during the week; however, because all writers will be sharing space in these pods we ask that applicants with service animals contact us in advance to ensure we are able to safely accommodate our writers with animal allergies as well.
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​May I bring my partner/caregiver/dependents/random buddy?
Absolutely! Writers who wish to attend with non-applicants should note this in their application. We are open to accommodating creative collaborators, dependents, partners, or caregivers of any kind. Please note your situation in your application and our staff will follow up upon admission.
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​How does parking work on campus?
Parking is included in the cost of the conference and is available throughout the Paul Smith’s College campus.
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​What does Kettle Pond provide? What should I plan to bring?
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Outside of clothing, toiletries, and whatever supplies our writers require for their work, we aim to provide everything our writers will need during the week.
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Over the years, we have also curated a fairly exhaustive list of packing suggestions. We've heard from some it's overkill, but we have also lent coats to many of those critics. We urge writers to pack as we do: plan for three seasons of weather, hope for fewer.
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​Will I be able to print/make copies on campus?
Yes, computer and printer access will be available 24-hours during the conference. Access to copying will be available in Paul Smith’s campus library during normal hours (which may not be available during registration weekend) or by request through Kettle Pond staff.
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​Are there laundry facilities on campus?
Yes, laundry is available in campus housing and included in tuition. No change or laundry cards needed, though writers will need to provide their own detergent.
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TRAVEL INFO
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Where is Kettle Pond, again?
Kettle Pond takes place on the campus of Paul Smith’s College, located within the Adirondack Park in upstate New York. Their campus is ~13 miles from Saranac Lake and 20 miles from Lake Placid, NY.
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​How do I get to Kettle Pond/Paul Smith’s College?
Information on travel to the conference can be found on our travel page.
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​Can Kettle Pond help with travel expenses?
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Unfortunately, Kettle Pond is currently unable to assist our writers with travel expenses; however, we will make every effort to connect attending writers wishing to ride-share to Paul Smith's once admissions are finalized. Attending writers interested in offering or accepting a ride are encouraged to note this in their application and Registration Form. More information regarding ridesharing will be distributed later in our admissions process.
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​I may need to arrive late/leave the conference early, is that possible?
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That depends. We ask that all accepted writers attending workshops plan to be on campus for the duration of the conference. Given Kettle Pond's rural location, all attending writers are expected to plan to arrive on campus during official conference registration hours on Saturday, June 22. Permission to arrive outside of registration hours will generally only be granted to alumni or (in limited cases) writers who may be traveling with them.
Though we understand that personal and professional obligations can come up without warning, Kettle Pond strongly discourages early departures from the conference outside of emergencies. Of course, we respect our artists' choices and no one will be keeping tabs on you, should an urgent situation arise.
Any writers for whom arriving during registration is not possible are encouraged to arrive in the area a day early, and continue to campus the following day, or to work out other arrangements with conference staff. We are happy to work with all of our writers as they arrive in the region, but advance notice of any travel concerns is always best. Please see our travel page and contact Kettle Pond staff directly with any travel questions related to arrival and departure.
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WAIT... COVID?
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​Do you have any Covid-19 vaccination requirements/related policies?
No, but...
This project nearly didn’t make it through the pandemic, and our recovery in its wake remains ongoing. To protect and sustain our entire community, Kettle Pond highly encourages all of our writers to take precautions against any [relevant] communicable diseases that might be circulating in their local areas in advance of our week together, as well as to take seriously any symptoms of illness they may notice as they prepare to join us this June.
Currently, neither Kettle Pond nor Paul Smith’s College require masking on campus or proof of any specific vaccinations (service animals aside) to attend. Accepted writers should keep in mind that KP24 wishes to protect all college and conference employees and attending writers, and that we expect an awareness of our writers’ roles in the communities they are visiting and building.
Isolation housing on campus is not available as of the time of this writing. Masks, as well as Covid rapid tests, will be available in communal areas or via request from conference staff throughout the week. Writers who wish to provide current vaccination status and share housing with others interested in the same should state this in their application and Registration Form. Our staff will make every effort to accommodate you in making housing assignments.
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Please take care of yourself and others as you make your decision to apply and join our community, and contact conference staff with any further questions.
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