The R(ev)ise and Shine! Residency 2026
October 27 - October 31, 2026 @ The Campus at Marlboro Music
We’re back! Following on our tremendously successful residencies in 2024 and 2025, this year we are thrilled to return to the Green Mountains of Vermont and the lovely Campus at Marlboro Music (formerly Potash Hill). Expect the same delicious food, stimulating programming, stunning surroundings, and embracing community experience, with exciting new special guests and greater choice in accommodations!
The Campus at Marlboro Music was founded in 2021 on the gorgeous former site of Marlboro College. What better place for a residency than a real New England college campus in October? Enjoy crisp nights, sparkling days, and mountainsides stitched in blazing fall colors!
This residency is open to everyone. We welcome all writers to join us, from picture book to adult fiction, brand new visitors to the R(ev)ise and Shine! community and old friends alike. Whether you have published before or are just starting out, we will tailor your experience to meet you where you are in your writing journey.
You will be assigned two mentors who will work closely with you to determine your unique strengths and needs as a writer, as well as what’s working and what isn’t (yet!) in your current draft. Together we will help you design a plan of action for your next revision or for getting out of a stuck place. Come prepared to leap over hurdles that have been getting in your way.
Special Guests:
This year we are delighted to welcome Catherine Laudone (guest editor), Sera Rivers (guest agent), James E. Ransome (guest illustrator) and Alysa Wishingrad (guest author) to our residency!
All four will be joining us in person to interact with students and participate in the residency. In addition, for a modest fee, Catherine will be offering one-on-ones to writers of middle grade and picture book manuscripts, while Sera will be offering one-on-ones to writers of young adult and adult manuscripts. For those who write in more than one age category/genre, we invite you to sign up for one-on-ones with both!
The R(ev)ise and Shine! Residency Ethos:
We value your time and your resources, and we know that it sometimes takes a big push, a concerted effort, to get a project well-launched or over the finish line.
This won’t be your spa retreat. Your write-between-sight-seeing retreat. Your hang-with-friends retreat—although our location has some of the tastiest food, loveliest hikes, and best opportunities to build community during meals and fun-filled evening activities.
This will be your “I want to roll-up-my-sleeves and write the best book I possibly can” retreat.
2026 Tuition: $1995.00*
Base tuition includes:
A single-occupancy dorm room (with shared, dorm-style bathroom) in New Dorm.
Three full and delicious daily meals prepared by the Brattleboro Food Co-op (including beer, wine, snacks, and appetizers). We strive to accommodate all food allergies and dietary restrictions.
A full schedule of programming, including multiple daily lectures, an evening art event, structured writing time, a group reading, and fun social activities.
Two 45-minute one-on-one meetings with your Critique and Revision Mentors to discuss your work-in-progress.
Written feedback from your Critique Mentor on your manuscript pages.
A $500 nonrefundable registration deposit* is required to reserve your spot.
Registration closes May 15, 2026 or when full.
Only 20 spaces available!
Balance of tuition due by July 1, 2026 and payable via a private Eventbrite link that will be sent to you after May 15, 2026.
Optional add-ons include:
Accommodation Upgrade: A limited number of private mini-apartments, featuring a private entrance, a private bathroom, a private kitchenette, and shared public and laundry spaces in Out of the Way are available for an additional $500. Apartments will be offered after the registration period is closed on a first come, first serve basis until there are no more available. (Please note: The Out of the Way apartment building is at the top of a hill. Parking is available at all venues if you wish to drive from your apartment to the meeting spaces. Walking is also an option—it's about a five-minute walk from Out of the Way to central campus. We suggest bringing a small flashlight for those who intend to walk after dark.)
One-on-one feedback on a middle grade or picture book manuscript from our Special Guest Editor, Catherine Laudone: $75
One-on-one feedback on a young adult or adult manuscript from our Special Guest Agent, Sera Rivers: $75
Additional night’s stay/personal retreat time: $150.00
*All applicable Eventbrite fees and sales tax will be added at checkout. Eventrbite fees are nonrefundable.
Add-ons:
For those opting for the additional feedback from our special guest editor and/or agent, the price includes a 20-minute one-on-one meeting based on manuscript pages submitted beforehand. (No written feedback)
For those opting for the additional night’s stay, price includes meals and accommodations through lunch on November 1st (for residents of both New Dorm and Out of the Way). No programming included (this time is for writing/personal retreating).
Please be aware that accommodations at The Campus at Marlboro Music are what you might expect from a former college campus: Dorm-style twin beds (linens will be provided); shared, dorm-style bathrooms, assigned by gender (students opting for the Accommodation Upgrade in Out of the Way will have their own private bathrooms); and limited handicap accessibility.
The facilities at The Campus at Marlboro Music are clean, well-maintained, and well-heated. All dorm rooms come with desks, chairs, lamps, and dressers. However, the mattresses tend to be thin, so we advise bringing a mattress topper or extra blankets for additional comfort.
If you identify as non-binary and would like more information about the bathroom setup, please let us know.
*The $500 registration fee is nonrefundable (unless we cancel the residency). However, the balance of tuition (plus add ons, including the Accommodation Upgrade, extra day's stay, or one-on-one consultations with our special guests) will be refundable up to 30 days prior to the event.
*Please Note: Eventbrite fees are also nonrefundable.
When registering please let us know about any dietary restrictions or food allergies you have so that we may let our caterers know.
Have more questions? Check out our FAQ below or please reach out and ask us!
To Register
Register now through May 15, 2026 (or until full) with a $500 non-refundable deposit on our Eventbrite page.
Balance of tuition due by July 1, 2026.
The number of participants for this retreat is limited, providing a low attendee-mentor ratio.
Consider upgrading to a private apartment (with/ private bathroom) for an additional fee of $500.
Consider adding an additional day of retreat time to your stay for only $150 all-inclusive.
Before the Residency
Send us 20 pages of your project (or your entire picture book) plus a full-synopsis (for novels) by September 1, 2026.
For an additional fee, sign-up for optional one-on-one meetings with our special guest editor and/or agent.
In September (date to be determined) we will host a live Zoom event to give you a preview of the residency and answer all your questions.
The Residency
Take advantage of a full schedule of lectures, targeted writing exercises, one-on-one meetings with mentors, face time with an agent and/or editor, and other group activities.
Or, if you prefer to focus on your writing, pick and choose among the events you'd like to join, and spend the rest of your time working in your room or any of the common areas available on campus. (However, because we are in community, we ask that we all gather together at meal times, much like in a typical residency.)
More details about the residency will be shared with registrants. In the meantime, if you’d like to get a sense of how the residency will be structured, please check out the schedule from our 2025 event.
Are you a Black or Indigenous writer? Apply for a $500 scholarship for BIPOC creatives!*
*Scholarships will be awarded as a tuition discount of $500 after the May 15th registration deadline. When registering you will be asked to indicate whether you wish to be considered for this scholarship opportunity. Should you apply and not receive a scholarship, you may request to have your registration fee of $500 refunded. Have a question? Don’t hesitate to ask!
What Former Students Had to Say…
Meet Your Mentors
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Lesa Cline-Ransome
Critique & Revision Mentor
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Rob Costello
Critique & Revision Mentor
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Jo Knowles
Critique & Revision Mentor
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Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Critique & Revision Mentor
Some of Our Books
The Campus at Marlboro Music: An Idyllic Hilltop Campus
The Campus at Marlboro Music is located in the southern Vermont town of Marlboro, between Brattleboro and Wilmington, off Route 9. It is a lovely 560-acre property with early 19th century farm houses, arts and academic buildings, expansive views, fields, private roads, and undeveloped forests with extensive hiking trails. Hartford’s Bradley Airport is about 90 minutes away, and Boston’s Logan Airport is 2.5 hours by car. There is also daily train service to Brattleboro from east coast cities.
This expansive rural property is spread out primarily over a beautiful, rocky hilltop in the southern part of Marlboro, extending over the border to Halifax, Vermont, to the south. The total combined property consists of 59 buildings with approximately 150,000 square feet. Much of the land is forested, with smaller portions cleared for the central campus, roads, parking areas, fields, and off-campus houses.
Most of the cleared areas and buildings on the central campus are contained within approximately 65 acres. The campus buildings range from original farm structures to the recently completed Jerome and Celia Bertin Reich building. Designed by the Minneapolis-based firm, HGA architects, the Reich building opened in June 2021. It contains three spacious music rehearsal studios, the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation Library—a library for Marlboro’s extensive collection of some 8,500 chamber music scores—administrative offices, and social spaces.
The rest of the campus is primarily undeveloped forests. We are committed to preserving this land, which is home to wildlife and contains hiking and cross-country ski trails that are popular with our community and town residents.
Check out this video about the former Marlboro College to get a sense of the campus:
Getting to The Campus at Marlboro Music:
Driving:
The campus address for GPS is The Campus at Marlboro Music, 2582 South Road, Marlboro, VT 05344.
The easiest approach is via Route 9 and South Road.
Sometimes, however, GPS thinks otherwise. In inclement weather, do not follow GPS routing if it tells you to take Town Hill Road, Ames Hill Road, or Moss Hollow Road. Those are all dirt roads, and while they are each well-maintained, it’s better to stick to the pavement if you aren’t familiar with them, especially in bad weather. Stick with the major roads: take Route 9 from Brattleboro or Wilmington, turn onto South Rd, and proceed 3 miles to the campus.
Flying:
The nearest major airport is Bradley International Airport, which serves the Hartford, Connecticut area, about an hour-and-a-half drive away. Boston’s Logan International Airport is about two-and-a-half hours away by car. If you are flying in, Potash Hill recommends making arrangements to get to campus from the airport through Thomas Transportation.
Train/Bus:
Amtrak and major bus companies offer service to Brattleboro, VT. For transportation to campus from town, Potash Hill recommends making arrangements through Thomas Transportation.
FAQs
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Each participant will be assigned two mentors: a Critique Mentor and a Revision Mentor.
Your Critique Mentor will read your manuscript pages and respond with a written critique emphasizing what’s working and offering suggestions for improvement. You will receive the response ahead of the residency and will have the opportunity to discuss the feedback there.
Your Revision Mentor will act as a writing resource or coach. This mentor is there to help you in any way you deem useful. You can discuss revision approaches, brainstorm story possibilities, puzzle out sticky story problems, air concerns, or ask industry questions.
During the residency you will meet one-on-one (for 45-minutes) with each of your two assigned mentors. However, throughout the residency you will have many opportunities to interact with all of the mentors and special guests during meals and group activities.
Both of your mentors will take their lead from you, by supporting you on your particular journey.
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Our goal is that you will leave the residency with a clearer sense of both where your project shines and where it could use additional work. We’ll help you develop an individualized plan for revision, providing resources and guidance for you to follow as you embark on your next draft.
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One-on-one consultations with our special guest editor and agent are available for an additional fee. These consultations will be 20-minutes each and include feedback on manuscript pages submitted before the residency begins.
However, all students will have the opportunity to interact with our special guests during meals and group activities. We ask, however, that you limit any questions for each regarding your own career & specific projects to the one-on-one consultations.
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Not to worry! Sometimes the very thing keeping you from putting an idea into words is that the idea hasn’t been fully formed or brainstormed yet. During our one-on-one meetings we’ll ask probing questions to help you take that all-important next step: figuring out where your story starts! We’ll also help with outlining, plotting, goals, etc., to help you feel like you have a good plan to go home with and start writing.
When applying, simply note that you are coming to residency with an idea you'd like help with, rather than feedback on pages. If you'd like to share your idea and what's been keeping you from starting thus far, please do!
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No! Absolutely not. While we encourage everyone to attend as much of the programming as they like, the only sessions we ask attendees to make sure not to miss are their one-on-one meetings with their mentors. Everything else is optional.
However, because we are in community, we do ask that we all gather together at meal times, much like in a typical residency.
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Each year we are able to award a limited number of $500 scholarships to BIPOC creatives. There is no application to complete. Simply check the box when you register to be considered for a scholarship.
Scholarships are awarded until the scholarship fund is depleted for the year.
Scholarships will be awarded as a tuition discount of $500 after the May 15th registration deadline.
Should you apply and not receive a scholarship, you may request to have your registration fee of $500 refunded.
Have a question? Don’t hesitate to ask!
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In a word, exceptional!
We are delighted to partner once again with the Brattleboro Food Co-op for all our catering needs. The Brattleboro Food Co-op's catering services offer a delectable array of culinary delights that are as wholesome as they are delicious. With a commitment to sourcing locally grown, organic ingredients, their menu boasts an enticing selection of dishes that cater to various dietary preferences and needs, from vegan to gluten-free options. Just be sure to let us know when you register about any dietary restrictions or food allergies you may have.
Meals include appetizers, beer, and wine. In addition, we will have coffee, tea, and flavored seltzer available at all times in the dining hall, as well as snacks in our common area.
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Because The Campus at Marlboro Music exists on the former campus of Marlboro College, our residential accommodations are converted dorms.
All single-occupancy dorm rooms feature a twin bed (with linens provided, including two towels—but no washcloths), dresser, chair, lamp, and a writing desk. Each room will be assigned to a shared, single-gender bathroom with multiple toilets and shower stalls. Click here to find out more.
If you identify as non-binary and would like more information about the shared bathroom setup, please let us know.
For those opting for an Accommodation Upgrade: All private apartments include a private entrance, a private bathroom and kitchenette, and fiber Internet. In addition, the apartments feature a twin bed (with linens provided, including two towels—but no washcloths), dresser, chair, lamp, and a writing desk. The private apartments also share a common laundry facility and social area. Click here to find out more.
Please note: The Out of the Way Apartment building is at the top of a hill that will require a five-minute walk to and from central campus. Parking is available adjacent to the building for those who drive. We suggest bringing a small flashlight for those who intend to walk after dark.
In our experience, the residence halls at The Campus at Marlboro Music are clean, well maintained, and well heated. Nevertheless, we advise students to pack for all kinds of weather (this being New England in the fall). In addition, if possible we advise students to bring a mattress topper or extra blankets for comfort, as the mattress tend to be thin.
Unfortunately, the campus is neither fully ADA compliant nor wheelchair accessible.
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Yes! There will be time built in to the schedule to write.
Plus, if you’d like more time to write, we are also offering an extra day for a small additional fee of $150.00 all-inclusive.
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Yes. Our special guest agent will be open to queries from all attendees of the residency (for a limited time).
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You can! All the members of the R(ev)ise and Shine! team are available to work one-on-one with residency participants. To find out more about what we offer, please visit our Manuscript Critiques page or reach out to us at our Contact Page.
All attendees to the R(ev)ise and Shine! Residency will receive a 10% discount on their next critique or coaching service.
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