Prospect Street Writers House
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Community
A Prospect Street residency can open the gate to creativity, jumpstart a stalled project, renew lagging confidence, put finishing touches on a manuscript, and restore the solitary writer’s sense of community. The place and the time are yours to do with as you will. The home cooked evening meal is the only time everyone will gather.
Prospect Street brings together writers regardless of genre or experience for a minimum one-week stay. What the Writers House will provide is tranquility and geniality. Because the population at Prospect Street is unlikely to exceed twelve writers, our residency format supports interpersonal give-and-take by providing the opportunity for conversations between peers deeply interested in the same thing, making better sentences. A writer’s greatest resource being other writers, the congenial atmosphere at Prospect Street can be conducive to making lifelong friendships as well as professional contacts.
Occasionally, informal readings and discussions led by visiting writers will take place after dinner. The Writers House’s Library features a selection of prose and poetry, as well as craft and reference books. It houses the work of just about every author who stayed here.
Your book belongs on these shelves.
Accommodations
Prospect Street has twelve, dorm-style bedrooms configured in three suites of four bedrooms, each with kitchenette and sitting room. The bedrooms of Grey and Blue Suites include private baths, while the Orange Suite has four large bedrooms, but shares two bathrooms located just outside the rooms. Small groups applying together can request a suite. The entire first floor is on grade, including a handicap-accessible bedroom in the Grey Suite. A Library, a full Kitchen, a Dining Room, and a Hall for readings and events comprise the first-floor common areas. A strong Wi-Fi signal encompassed the whole building and most of the grounds.
A wrap-around porch with rockers invites one to contemplate the passing parade. A large garden terrace encourages alfresco dining or outdoor conversation, while offering a quiet place to read or write. The grounds harbor a half dozen secluded areas with seating, perfect for creativity or contemplation.
The Writers House’s floorplan flows easily from private to public. Our rooms are comfortable and quiet. Focus on your writing in any number of private places in addition to your room. Enjoy the company of writers only to the extent your creative process can accommodate.
Neighborhood
The Village of North Bennington is a short walk down Prospect Street. One of Shirley Jackson’s North Bennington houses is on the righthand side of the street, the one with the columns. At the bottom of the hill, The Roasted Bean is a haven for a good cup of coffee and, next door, The Pangaea Lounge offers terrace dining overlooking one of Paran Creek’s millponds. Also on the fountain square is the friendly John G. McCullough Free Library and Powers Market, a grocery store.
Crossing Main Street and heading up the opposite hill, one arrives at the Park-McCullough House, a mid-nineteenth century mansion, home to two Vermont governors. Its veranda has wicker chairs for reading. Beyond the House winds a network of bridle paths, Mile-Around Woods, where, in early spring, the forest floor is carpeted with ephemeral wildflowers.
Across Prospect Street from the Writers House a path leads to the Bennington College campus. The College’s beautiful white Georgian buildings frame a breathtaking vista of Mount Anthony. The quad opens and seems to drop away: no wonder it’s called The End of the World. Bennington’s evening literary programming is open to the public.