Friday, January 1, 2010

Soapstone - 1 JAN 2010 - Writing in the New Year

Happy new year, everyone!

For the next two weeks, I'll be blogging at you (occasionally, anyway) from Soapstone -- a beautiful and solitary place on the Oregon coast for women writers to have a chance to focus on their projects in progress. I have several plays underway (as usual), and am glad to welcome in the new year with time to devote to my writing.

Soapstone provides women writers with a stretch of uninterrupted time for their work and the opportunity to live in semi-solitude close to the natural world.

In addition to that rare but essential commodity for a writer—a quiet space away from jobs, children, and other responsibilities—Soapstone provides something less tangible but also invaluable: the validation and encouragement necessary to embark upon or sustain a long or difficult writing project.

Located in Oregon’s Coast Range, nine miles from the ocean, the retreat stands on twenty-two acres of densely forested land along the banks of Soapstone Creek and is home to much wildlife. The writers in residence enjoy a unique opportunity to learn about the natural world and join us in conscious stewardship of the land.

Soapstone is set up for two writers at a time, each with her own writing studio. From an applicant pool of 400 to 500, approximately thirty-five writers each year are awarded residencies of one to four weeks.

May 2010 bring you joy and productions! See you in a few weeks.

~Ellen

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