Funded by GSMA, the Steve Kemp Writer’s Residency is designed to connect writers with the Smokies in meaningful ways and to inspire some of their best work. The program is named for 30-year GSMA veteran Steve Kemp, who retired in September 2017 after directing the publication of hundreds of books, magazines, brochures and newsletters that continue to support the preservation of the national park.
GSMA will accept applications for the first Steve Kemp Writer’s Residency through January 15, 2019. One writer will be selected to live in Great Smoky Mountains National Park from March 3 to April 13, 2019.
“The writer’s residency is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for one lucky writer to spend six blissful weeks immersed in the Smokies to focus on their craft,” said Great Smoky Mountains Association Chief Executive Officer Laurel Rematore. “The chosen writer will follow the footsteps of—and spend real time with—Steve Kemp in an effort to create written works that move visitors to a greater appreciation of and stewardship for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In exchange for their stay in the park, the writer will generate experiences to help promote visitor understanding of the need to preserve and care for this national treasure.”
With his long-standing contributions to both GSMA and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Steve Kemp is the perfect inspiration for the writer’s residency. Kemp’s first story on managing wildlife in national parks was published in 1983 and won the Montana Audubon Society Journalism Award. He has remained on the same path, more or less, ever since.
Counted among his writing credentials are a variety of periodicals and journals including Outside, Outdoor Life, National Parks, Outdoor Photographer, Discovery Travel Adventures, Blue Ridge Country, Smokies Guide and Smokies Life. His books include Trees of the Smokies, Great Smoky Mountains: Simply Beautiful, Great Smoky Mountains: A Visual Journey, We’re Going to the Mountains, Great Smoky Mountains: Natural Wonder, National Park, and, perhaps most notably, Who Pooped in the Park?
Click HERE full residency details and instructions for submitting applications.
Since its inception in 1953, Great Smoky Mountains Association has supported the preservation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park by promoting greater public understanding and appreciation through education, interpretation and research. A nonprofit organization with more than 30,000 supporting members, GSMA has provided more than $44 million to the park, with an additional $1.3 million planned in 2019.
The Great Smokies Welcome Center is located on U.S. 321 in Townsend, TN, 2 miles from the west entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Visitors can get information about things to see and do in and around the national park and shop from a wide selection of books, gifts, and other Smokies merchandise. Daily, weekly, and annual parking tags for the national park are also available.
