lordship house is a private house with public programs, including funded artist fellowships and a free community library. Our mission is to serve and celebrate the epistolary and literary; to honor the queer tradition of finding, making and fostering spaces in which to flourish.

photo of black roofline of lordship house as seen from below a rocky bluff, the windows softly glow yellow, an early evening sky above
photo of Fellow LySaundre Jeneé who stands on a rocky beach with a blue sky behind her, filled with small clouds; she grins to camera in a gray hoodie and black pants.
photo of Fellow Lauren Theresa who stands on a rocky beach with a blue sky behind her and smiles into the sun, with her eyes closed. She wears a black shawl.
photo of Fellow Mathew Rodriguez who stands on a rocky beach with a blue sky behind and smiles to camera. Mathew wears gold-rimmed glasses and a white knit shirt.
photo of Fellow José Sanchez who sits on a set of brick stairs, surrounded by greenery. He smirks to camera. He wears a tan hat, striped shirt and blue jeans.
photo of Dr. Karen Karbiener who holds glasses and an open book in her hands. She is smiling and looking off-camera at audience. She is framed by a red brick wall.
photo of Dr. Karen Karbiener who stands in front of a brick hearth, gesturing with her hands in front of an audience of a dozen people, seated along a window bank and in various chairs around the lordship house living room.
Photo of community members, seated on a bench in front of light-filled windows, hold copies of "Walt Whitman: Poetry for Kids" by Dr. Karen Karbiener.
Photo of Fellow Benjamin Niespodziany who smiles to camera with sunglasses on. He is seated on brick steps, surrounded by greenery, a greenhouse in the background.
Photo of Fellow Hannah Grieco who grins and looks off camera while gesturing with an open palm. She wears a black v-neck sweater. Behind her is a bramble of greenery.
photo of lordship house hosts Michael Todd Cohen (left) and Adrian Dallas Frandle (right) standing together on a rocky beach, smiling to camera; a sunset behind them.
photo of a black roofline with a brilliant blue and gold sky beyond.
photo of fellow's quarters entrance with stone patio, writing table and char.
photo of Fellow's quarters (bedroom) with queen bed, writing desk; a fresh bouquet of hydrangea and sunflowers sits on the nightstand.
photo of the Fellow's patio with writing table and chair; view of pool and Long Island Sound beyond. In foreground, purple salvia rises from a planter
photo of lordship house front gardens in spring with bright pink flowers and deep green spruces; blue sky
photo of field stone wall mid-construction with stones scattered; a maple's branches frame the half-built wall
photo of a pink-purple sunset over a rocky beach and the Long Island Sound
photo of a wicker basket containing cucmbers, lettuce, cherry tomatoes; cucumber vines behind it.
photo of a set of brick stairs, surrounded by stones, leading down to the waters of the Long Island Sound

Stratford Crier, 2025

Invited In: How One Home Welcomes an Entire Community for Creatives

Picture this for a moment, that your workday involves waking up to the ocean, and from your standing desk you watch birds and foxes hop about in your yard while your tiny (and mildly reserved) Chihuahua, Mikey, keeps you company. Are you there? Can you see it? 

Our neighbors, Michael Todd Cohen and Adrian Dallas Frandle, do just that every single day. They live and work from their home in Stratford, overlooking the ocean. I recently sat down with the duo to learn more about the Lordship house, and how they came to the idea of turning their private home into a public space, an inviting place for fellow creatives.

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What we do…

  • 📬 literary salon by mail


    In which we share typewriter missives from lordship house on natural history, queer life in New England, literature, film and art. Comes with a pre-stamped postcard for optional reply. Subscribe here.

  • 🏡 lordship house Fellowship


    A four day residency for writers and artists at our seaside house in Lordship, Connecticut (Stratford). Fellows recieve a stipend, meals (sometimes with treats from the garden), and lodging with private bath. Past Fellows

  • 🗓️ programs


    Feature regional and national scholars in dialogue with local community at lordship house and online. More on programs coming soon.

the lordship house library has over 1,500 books on wide-ranging topics and genres, including: Poetry, Queer Theory, Literary Criticism, Writing Craft, and more.

Access Library 📚
Two white Adirondack chairs in the green high grass, facing out towards a sailboat making its way across the Sound.
A view of the front garden in bloom, purple yarrow in the foreground.
Lauren Theresa looks out to sea, smiling, standing on a beach, in a black wrap, the sun on her face.
Amie Souza Reilly lounges, laughing on the grass
Mathew Rodriguez smiles to camera on a beach, hands in pockets, a cream short sleeve knit shirt, glasses.
Benjamin Niespodziany is seated on brick stairs, smiling to camera, with sunglasses on. There is a greenhouse and a roofline in the background.
Mikey, the russet chihuahua, rests his head on a pile of books.
Sculpture of a woman's head on a small round table, a banquet behind; soft light through an open shade.
A lighthouse with keeper's cottage in front of it that has a red roof. The lighthouse tower is behind, with a red top. There is a small building out front with same. Scrub in foreground.
Purple sunset on a rocky beach.
Dark roof line of Lordship House, golden clouds and some trees, the back lawn, below.
Fire-orange sunset across the Sound, a lone deer in silhouette on shore.
Sea stairs made of large format brick tiles, leading down to a beach where the surf is frothy.
Mathew Rodriguez, in a light orange top, smirks to camera, while cradling Rabbit, a blonde chihuahua, upside down in his arms like a baby.
On the front lawn of Lordship House: a dry stack stone wall with loose stones around it, a tree branch shades from above
A wicker basket of fresh vegetables: cucumber, cherry tomato, lettuces.