Olseth Writer’s Residency | 2025 Awardees

Daniel Dietz

Project:
Daniel is working on final edits of his forthcoming manuscript Rare & Used: A Book Scout’s Life (Oregon State University Press, anticipated 2026) The book explores life on the margins of the used book world—far from the glamour of Powell’s. The story reflects on the books that get away and the people who stick around.

Residency Location:
The Independence Hotel, Independence, Oregon—close to where much of the book takes place, but secluded enough for focused work.

Jessica Doe (Aniyunwiya / Citizen of the Cherokee Nation)

Project:
Jessica is completing Those We Feed, a collection of Indigenous short horror stories. The collection is intentionally tribally specific, engaging exclusively with Cherokee histories, cosmologies, and land-based memory. One story from the project has been selected for the forthcoming sequel to Never Whistle at Night, a best-selling pan-Indigenous horror anthology.

Residency Location:
On the ancestral lands of the Lenape (“Delaware”), at a site where she will be concluding a summer residency.

Melody Erfani

Project:
Melody will be working on a young adult novel, Sailing Sisters. The novel follows three Iranian-American sisters who grow up on a sailboat and embark on a journey through the Bahamas. The story begins in Key West, Florida, where the sisters join a boat rally that propels them into adventure.

Residency Location:
Key West, Florida. The location is crucial to the story’s setting and sensory authenticity. It is also a beautiful place to write.

Logan Garner

Project:
Logan is completing his second poetry manuscript, Boar’s Head Gospel. The collection explores themes of home, belonging, religious roots, and the sacred in nature.

Residency Location:
As part of the University of British Columbia’s MFA program, Logan will participate in the Summer Residency in 2026—a ten-day intensive workshop including writing sessions, guest lectures, and mentorship from publishing professionals.

Holly Hisamoto

Project:
Holly is creating an essay collection based on her experiences as a Buddhist chaplain. Written in prose inspired by the Japanese poetic form haibun, the collection blends narrative and poetic reflection.

Residency Location:
A cabin or room on the Oregon Coast which is conducive to creating art. 

Tess Kelly

Project:
Tess is compiling a collection of personal essays written over the past decade. Her work spans the Jersey Shore and suburbs, the Honduran lowlands, the streets of San Francisco, and her adopted hometown of Portland, Oregon. While she continues to publish individual essays in literary journals, this residency focuses on organizing and polishing the essays into a cohesive collection.

Residency Location:
PLAYA, a retreat and education center for the arts and sciences in southeastern Oregon.