Mission Statement

Prospect Street Writers House’s philosophy is embodied in poet Donald Hall’s maxim – “The friendship of writers is the history of literature.” Situated in the village of North Bennington, Vermont, Prospect Street celebrates written language and fosters literary discourse. Peace & quiet, time to write, and good company form the basis of what this writers house has to offer.

A Message From V Hansmann

I graduated with a concentration in nonfiction from a low-res MFA in June of 2011. Those two years changed my life. After thirty years in business, I had become the English major I always intended to be. I cherished the ten-day residencies in January and June, because for once I was in the company of smart, accomplished people who loved books and were interested in the same thing I was – learning to be a better writer.

As I neared graduation, Donald Hall’s insistence on “the friendship of writers” wouldn’t let me go. A café in Greenwich Village near my home offered spoken word programming in their basement for two hours before the jazz combos arrived. My pitch for a reading series was accepted and two months after graduation the inaugural program went off without a hitch. I organized the lineups of readers, emceed semi-awkwardly, then invited everyone back to my apartment afterwards to continue the conversation over pizza and wine.

The establishment of Prospect Street Writers House is my next step after ten years of poetry and pizza. The discoveries you make here will be incremental – jumpstart your project, nail down that missing or misshapen chapter/scene/character, revive confidence in your poetic vision, meet the new friend who will be that perfect second reader for your manuscript. Come and find out.

And I hope you’ll come back.

V.