A Brooklyn Cottage Early Summer Weekend Writing Retreat (in Hudson)!

212 Warren Street,Hudson NY 12534

16 June, 2023

Description

Have you been meaning to join a writers’ workshop for the longest time, but haven’t? Are you stalled on your writing project and in need of a burst of fresh inspiration? Have you been longing to be gently folded into a warm, supportive creative community? Are you new to writing, and eager for some basics and some instruction? For all these reasons, and more, we’d like to invite you to join us for an early-summer weekend writing retreat in stunning Hudson, NY, June 16th-18th. This weekend is open to everyone, at all levels of experience, because everyone has a story, and we’re ready to meet you wherever you are. Limited to twelve participants, this weekend retreat will be hosted by The Brooklyn Cottage and led by Jeanne McCulloch, co-founder of The Todos Santos Writers Workshop, Senior Editor of Tin House, Founding Editorial Director of Tin House Books, and former Managing Editor of The Paris Review. The Why: Summer is a great time to try new things, make new friends, and get the creative juices flowing. The What: Welcome Supper on Friday night: we’ll kick off the weekend at the Warren Street apartment of Jenny Douglas and Kent Shell, with introductions, a cozy meal, then off to bed to get ready for the next day’s program. Saturday morning: we’ll gather back at Jenny and Kent's for coffee & tea, fruit, yogurt and warm muffins starting at 9 a.m., and by 10 a.m. will get to work. Jeanne will lead us in writing exercises that are generative in nature, with particular emphasis paid to using our five senses in our work. We’ll include some experiential writing—taking in the farmers market, antique stores, and other sights and sounds of Hudson. Our time in the wild will be followed by quiet increments of time, in which you can sit and write. Saturday lunch and the early hours of the afternoon will be ours to design as we each wish: an eclectic assortment of restaurants line Warren Street and are a stone's throw away from our retreat "headquarters," and we can spend the middle part of the Saturday afternoon resting, writing or exploring. At 4 p.m., we'll return to Jenny & Kent's living room to share a bit of our day’s work, and at 6 p.m or so we'll head out to nearby Back Bar for a casual pay-our-own way dinner. Sunday morning: we’ll meet again at 9 a.m. ish for coffee and breakfast, and at 10 a.m., Jeanne will lead us in a final writing exercise. We'll plan to say our goodbyes at noon. The Cost: The cost of the weekend writing workshop includes welcome cocktails and dinner on the Friday evening, breakfast on the Saturday and Sunday, snacks on the Saturday afternoon, and Jeanne's expert instruction throughout the weekend. The total charge for this is $295 per person. Accommodations: Participants who are not local to the Hudson area are responsible for securing their own lodging for the weekend; nearby options are bountiful and span a range of price-points. These include three Airbnb units on the first floor of Jenny & Kent's building (first come, first served), rooms at The Wick Hotel, William Farmer & Son, and The Rivertown Lodge, and assorted Airbnbs in Hudson, the village of Catskill, and Athens. About Hudson: Initially settled by whalers from Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, Hudson thrived as a whaling hub in the 18th Century and today functions as a small city with a large cabinet of curiosities, featuring abundant art galleries, vintage furniture stores, boutique hotels, streetside cafes, an assortment of excellent restaurants, and the handiworks of makers of all kinds. Hudson is an easy 2-hour train ride from Manhattan's Moynihan Station via Amtrak (and Jenny & Kent's house is a short walk from the Hudson Station).