Meet Your Mentor
Ellen Boyette is the director of The Craft Conservatory as well as the 2026 instructor. She is a distinguished poet, essayist, and scholar whose research focuses on the 'sonic alchemy' of repetition in Modernist poetry. Currently completing her doctoral dissertation, Ellen received her MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop where she was a Teaching Writing Fellow and undergraduate instructor in literature and poetry. Ellen is a recipient of prizes from the Academy of American Poets and Random House Publishing, and a multi-nominee for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net.
For the past decade, she has taught at major research universities in the U.S. as well as for the Iowa Young Writers' Studio, the International Writing Program, the Sewanee Young Writers' Conference, and the North Carolina Governor's School.
Ellen's Story
To be a great writer, I've always believed, one must be an even better observer. Upon the completion of my PhD coursework in Literature, I decided to step back and take a sincere look at the literary world I was so familiar with. I had worked with young writers in nearly every available capacity, but the available options weren't cutting it. With a truly gifted student, a few weeks together in the summer or even a full semester never felt like enough time to really them both expertise and a clear path forward. With that reflection in mind, I realized I had not only an opportunity, but an obligation to create this crucial resource that has long been missing for young writers: intensive, personalized, and sustained mentorship.
In this inaugural year of The Craft Conservatory, I want to let every applicant know how much respect I have for your commitment to writing, and how important it is to me to help you nurture your own unique sensibilities. It's so important to remember that you students are my ONLY job for the entire year. I can't wait to meet you.
ars longa vita brevi
the life so short, the craft so long to learn