I’m spending August at Hedgebrook Writer’s Retreat on Whidbey Island off the coast of Seattle. Hedgebrook is only for women and has been thriving since the late 1980’s. Why think of applying to a retreat where you’re among only women? Because it’s a very good way to get to know the woman you’ve become, to see your work from the perspective of women’s history.
It’s a small retreat, hosting between six and seven at a time. The women here with me are writers. We range from our 20’s to our sixties; we're performance poets, memoirists, fiction writers, poets and playwrights. Hedgebrook has its mission fostering the artistic work of women outside literature as well. A previous resident of my beautiful post-and-beam cottage in the woods was a stand-up comedian; there were also painters and songwriters. One of the reasons I wanted to be here was to experience the geography and worldview of the Pacific Northwest. It’s taken my breath away over and over again, renewed my sense of the expansiveness of our country.
Hedgebrook is quite rural, quiet in a wild way. The water is visible (as is Mt. Rainier) from a number of spots, yet within the 40-odd acres that the retreat encompasses, there are places of recalcitrant dark, stinging nettles, and a couple of aggressive owls who’ve been known to swoop down on unsuspecting heads. The food is local, organic, predominantly vegetarian, and best of all prepared with loving intent by local women.
I’ve finished a novella in verse here — a two year obsession that puzzled and challenged me. Two more weeks stretch ahead, then I’ll cede this cottage with its pond view and tiny woodstove to the next woman.
The application period is open until September 15th. If you’re a female writer or artist, consider Hedgebrook. There’s no residency or retreat more conducive to the kind of quiet kindness I’ve found here.
Here's the link: www.hedgebrook.org