Writer In Residence
Unlike science journalism residencies, our Writer-in-Residence program is not intended for reporters or science communicators. Instead, it supports creative writers—from poets to playwrights—who are interested in exploring science as a human endeavor through narrative, metaphor, and imagination. The writer is embedded within an interdisciplinary research community and invited to co-create, reflect, and express—not merely report.
This approach allows for greater flexibility in both form and tone, supporting work that doesn’t need to be explanatory or newsworthy, but instead explores the emotional, cultural, and existential dimensions of science. The result is storytelling that brings a distinctly artistic lens to research—perfectly aligned with the mission of the Illuminating Discovery Hub to make science more human, creative, and accessible.
Objectives for WIR-
- Connect creative writers with interdisciplinary researchers and labs
- Support the development of new narratives inspired by scientific inquiry
- Translate complex research into accessible, emotional, or imaginative stories
- Engage cutting-edge science through the lens of literary and artistic practice
- Broaden public understanding and appreciation of science through creative writing
- Elevate underrepresented perspectives and themes in science storytelling
Resident Writer
Michelle Wildgen is the author of the novels Wine People (August 2023, Zibby Books), You’re Not You, But Not For Long, and Bread and Butter, and the editor of the food writing anthology Food & Booze. A former executive editor with the award-winning literary journal Tin House, she is a freelance editor and creative writing teacher in Madison, Wis. Since 2013 she and novelist Susanna Daniel have run the Madison Writers’ Studio, offering a variety of creative writing workshops and classes.
Alumni
News and Announcements
Wine People Featured in On Wisconsin Magazine
Featured in On Wisconsin magazine, Wildgen pairs the technical know-how of the wine industry with the narrative nuances of competing personalities.
Cap Times Review: New book ‘Wine People’ has a little Madison and a lot of great wine
Writer-in-Residence Michelle Wildgen's “Wine People” incorporates a little bit of Madison and a bit more hospitality, with a wine-saturated spin.
Wildgen’s Wine Country Featured in Time Magazine Summer Reads
Our Writer in Residence's novel Wine People takes readers from Madison, Wis., and Sonoma, Calif., to Italy, France, and Germany as its story unfolds. Available August 1st.