From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
Universities have writers-in-residence. As do libraries. As does Amtrak. So why not a shopping mall?
In honor of its 25th anniversary, the Mall of America is looking for a writer to be in residence for five days, to write about a week in the life of the nation’s largest mall.
Before you scoff, think of the possibilities: the workers, the shoppers, the diners, the strollers, the teenagers, the visitors from abroad. The possibilities are rich indeed.
The chosen writer will be flown in (if not local) and housed for four nights at a nearby hotel and given a $400 gift card for food and drink. He or she will also receive a $2,500 honorarium.
Link to the rest at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and thanks to Meryl for the tip.
When I was a kid (a long time ago) I used to go missing when my mother took me shopping, she always knew where to find me though, next to the books and magazines.
I’m the writer in residence at my local Dunkin’ Donuts. Except they don’t pay. Or acknowledge my work. And occasionally they complain I’m holding the table too long.
Considering that the application asks for social media accounts, I suspect they will be choosing the applicant based mainly on number of followers.
Well, that lets me out. I’m not an urban fantasy writer in any case…
Lois McMaster Bujold has mentioned Mall of America as a great model for “Beta planet” in the Vorkosigan series.
Heh. Have already applied. I remember when the Mall was being built. My parents walked the Mall 6 days a week (they always went swimming the 7th day). I have family still in Mpls, and lots of friends. Would be awesome to win a writing vacation there for a week!
I used to spend a lot of time in that mall. It was a warm open place in the winter. It had trees and free running water–fake streams!
Ha! In the early ’80s, before selling my first book, I researched and wrote a long feature piece for the Arizona Republic’s Sunday Magazine about people losing their kids in the “new” mega malls. (I got the idea after losing my seven-year-old son in one for a panicky hour on its crowded and chaotic opening day.) Maybe that should qualify me, though it’s probably not the take they’re looking for. lol
Metrocenter? I haven’t been there in years, but I’m sure it’s only worse these days.
I managed to misplace one daughter in the much smaller Southpoint Mall a few years ago. Fortunately a level-headed teenager, so not that much of a terror experience. Did make us two hours late getting back down to Tucson, though; I had planned to get out of town before rush hour.
Kids and malls, though. They never seem to get over the “shiny” bit. (Umph. Maybe I haven’t either, come to think of it…)
I got lost in Marshall Fields’ department store in downtown Chicago when I was very young. So it didn’t take a mega-mall to make losing a kid possible. I still recall the fear I felt at that time.
(Of course, Marshall Fields was as big as some mega-malls…)
🙂