Three Oregon writers were awarded the 2003 Walden Residency Fellowships. Nancy Osa of Portland, Adam O’Connor Rodríguez of Ashland, and Linda Taylor, of Klamath Falls will each receive an opportunity to work on their writing amidst the quiet beauty of a Southern Oregon farm.  The residency program is sponsored by a private citizen and is coordinated by Extended Campus Programs at Southern Oregon University.

 Nancy Osa will enjoy uninterrupted time to read, think, and begin a historical novel for young adults March 17-April 26. Osa is a two-time Oregon Literary Fellowship recipient and Hedgebrook resident. Her first book, CUBA 15, won the Delacorte Press Prize and will be released in June 2003 by Random House. In addition to writing for teens, Osa owns "Writer in Residence," a Portland-based editorial service.

Adam O’Connor Rodríguez will spend his residency, May 3-June 14, working on several short stories. Adam was born in Oak Park, Illinois, but considers himself a Muskegon, Michigan native. He now lives in Ashland, Oregon and will graduate from Southern Oregon University. A black belt in Karate and a trained cook, Adam has traveled to most continental U.S. states on Greyhound buses. He received the 2002 Michael Baughman fiction award. His work appears in River Voices, Litter, and the West Wind Review.

Linda Taylor, of Klamath Falls, was born in Madrid, Spain, and traveled the world before she was twelve. The places visited and the people she met fed her young mind and fired her imagination. Her childhood passion for reading evolved into a passion for conjuring up stories of her own. As a fifth grader in a parochial school, a "What I Did On My Summer Vacation" essay gone awry was her proverbial fork in the road. Taylor received her essay back, Sister "Sergeant" Imelda's no-nonsense handwriting marching across the top of the page. She wrote: ‘You have a gift for writing, but it's a sin to tell a lie’. She will use the Walden residency, June 21-July 26, to complete the first draft of her fifth novel, Madigan's Mountain.

 The application deadline for 2004 residencies is postmarked November 29, 2003. For more information look on the web at www.sou.edu/walden, call 552-6901 or email friendly@sou.edu.