Mitch Wieland is the Writer in Residence for 2026-2027. Wieland, a celebrated novelist, editor, and educator, serves as Idaho’s literary ambassador, conducting readings, workshops, and outreach programs across the state.
Kirkus Reviews calls Mitch Wieland’s upcoming novel, The Ghosts of Okuma, “A strange, beautiful, and unexpected exploration of the fallout of family tragedy” (starred review). The novel was also named a Kirkus Best Indie Book for March. Named Idaho Book of the Year, his second novel, God’s Dogs, was a finalist for the John Gardner Fiction Book Award. Optioned for a film, Wieland’s first novel, Willy Slater’s Lane, was awarded starred reviews in Publisher’s Weekly and Booklist. His short stories have appeared in The Missouri Review, The Southern Review, The Kenyon Review, Best of the West, The Yale Review, and two dozen other publications. He’s been awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, the Idaho Commission on the Arts, and the Alexa Rose Foundation. Wieland teaches in the MFA and BFA programs in creative writing at Boise State. He is the founding editor of The Idaho Review.
His work has been recognized with fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, the Idaho Commission on the Arts, and the Alexa Rose Foundation. Wieland has also served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts and received Boise State’s Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award in 2024.
As part of his appointment Wieland will travel throughout the state to conduct readings and talk about craft.
History of the Idaho Writer in Residence
In 1923, spurred by the State Federation of Women’s Clubs and the State PTA, Governor C.C. Moore appointed Irene Grissom as Idaho’s first poet laureate—a life term. A native of Greeley, Colorado, and a graduate of Colorado State Teacher’s College, she wrote three novels and an equal number of verse collections with titles such as Verse of the New West (1931). Grissom lived near Idaho Falls until her death in 1946.
The position was vacant until 1949 when Governor C.A. Robins appointed Sudie Stuart Hager, an Oklahoman educated in Oregon who taught school in Kimberly, Idaho. Her best known collection was Earthbound (1947). Hager was the last of the laureates.
Following her death in 1982, Governor John Evans appointed a five-member panel of Idahoans, who were joined by western poets Brewster Ghiselin, Drummond Hadley, and William Stafford, to select a new laureate. Instead, the panel recommended the selection of a Writer in Residence to serve a two-year term; that the position be open to writers of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction; that the writer be required to give readings during his or her term; and that the writer be paid $5,000 annually. In 1983 their recommendations were adopted by an executive order establishing the Writer in Residence panel.
With guidance from the Governor’s panel, the program was initiated, developed, and administered by the Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Humanities. Financial support was contributed by the Idaho Commission on the Arts, the Association for the Humanities (now the Idaho Humanities Council), and private gifts. In June 1986, program responsibility transferred to the Idaho Commission on the Arts. The award was for $10,000 over two years and required twelve readings. In 1998, the Commission extended the term to three years and because of budget cutbacks reduced the award to $4,400 annually. In 2020, the Commission reestablished the two-year term with an annual $5,000 award.
Selection of the writer is made from Idaho applicants whose anonymous writing samples are judged by a panel of out-of-state writers. Submissions are judged 85% for artistic excellence, 15% for contributions to the field. The panel makes recommendations to the Commission and the Governor approves the choice.
Writers in Residence include: Kerri Webster, Boise (2024-2025), CMarie Fuhrman, McCall (2022-2023), Malia Collins, Boise (2020-2021); Christian Winn, Boise (2017-2019); Diane Raptosh, Boise (2014-2016); Brady Udall, Boise (2011-2013); Anthony Doerr, Boise (2008-2010); Kim Barnes, Moscow (2005-2007); Jim Irons, Twin Falls (2002-2004); William Johnson, Lewiston (1999-2001); Lance Olsen, Moscow (1996-1997); Clay Morgan, McCall (1994-1995); Daryl Jones, Boise (1992-1993); Neidy Messer, Boise (1990-1991); Eberle Umbach, McCall (1988-1989); Robert Wrigley, Lewiston (1986-1987); Ron McFarland, Moscow (1984-1985).