A Cottage for Women Creatives
Supporting Hypatia in the Woods
Greetings Dear Ones,
I'm a volunteer with the nonprofit residency for women "Hypatia in the Woods" located in the forest outside of Shelton, the nearest (and only) city in Mason County. Every quarter, along with several other women, I read the applications of women writers, artists, and academics who long for quiet uninterrupted time at Hypatia’s Holly House to create and share good work in the world.
From a veterinarian finishing her dissertation on a brand new cure for deadly canine disease, to a composer innovating with forest sounds, to a painter making pigment from native plants, to a novelist writing about climate change, to a memoirist describing the challenges of grief, dislocation, and otherness, to a farmer/essayist writing about sustainability and parenting, I am always moved and inspired by the imagination and determination of these women.
This year, two talented friends of mine were offered residencies: the poet Carey Lee Taylor, and writer and artist Constance Mears, whose Coho Salmon Field Note appears below.
I am grateful to play a small part in the mission of Hypatia to offer its beautiful and serene cottage free from the demands and distractions of daily life for these deserving women to follow the creative call in their lives, without regard for their ability to pay. And in thanks for the opportunity, many of the residents offer workshops, readings, and art exploration to the community through our public library.
The gift of time and place for these creative women is made possible by the all-volunteer board, and the generosity of donors.
Hypatia in the Woods is participating in the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound's annual give local campaign. With just 8 days left of fundraising, I invite you to join me in giving to Hypatia this week. And please feel free to spread the word about Hypatia to women you know who would be interested in a residency. You can find out more and donate here:
ENOUGH
All I want is a house filled with color.
A little bit of privacy.
A green vine.
A sky willed with water and sun.-Carey Lee Taylor
Reading Recommendation by former Hypatia/Holly House resident TaraShea Nesbit:
“The Wives of Los Alamos” is fascinating historical fiction, written in the third person plural “we”, about the women and families sequestered in Los Alamos, New Mexico while their husbands, academics/scientists, were working with Oppenheimer on the top-secret Manhattan Project, which the women knew nothing about until the nuclear bombs were dropped on Japan.