Ten years ago, the very first writer was halfway through her stay at Storyknife. Kim Steutermann Rogers was cozy in the Fredrica Cabin, right next to founder Dana Stabenow’s home. Kim was the perfect person to be Storyknife’s first writer in residence: kind, lovely, outgoing, and completely comfortable being on her own in a little cabin with minimal support.
When Dana and I started talking about how to raise the money to build the six cabins and main house that comprise Storyknife, I told her that it’s easier to raise money for a program that already exists than for something that is only a good idea. The fact that she was gracious enough to donate the use of her guest cabin for three years is a real testament to her investment in the vision of a women’s writing retreat.
Ten years. It took Dana, the Storyknife Board, and me three years to raise the funds to build Storyknife. For the last six years, we’ve hosted 48 to 54 women writers for either four-week or two-week residencies. By the end of this October, 280 amazingly talented, wonderful writers will have spent time at Storyknife.
It’s been an amazing ride so far. Maura, Katie, and I have loved getting to know each month’s writers and learning how best to support them. I get to watch their eyes widen when they see the amazing lunches and dinners Maura creates for them. I hear them exclaim over the beautiful muffins and cookies Katie bakes. I have the honor of hearing them read at Live for Storyknife and of being the person who reminds them that their writing brought them all the way to Homer, Alaska, and will carry them farther still.
Storyknife exists because Dana Stabenow believed that women writers deserve the time and space to devote to their craft. It thrives because the staff excels at creating a place that is both nurturing and flexible, always growing and changing as we learn our craft. And it will continue far into the future because the Storyknife Board of Directors and I work very hard to expand our base of incredible people and foundations who are willing to donate to support this place and help make it stable and successful.
Thank you for being part of the community of Storyknife for next ten years! I just know that the amazing writers who have been and will be in residence here will be publishing work that changes the narrative and changes the world.
take care,
Erin
Storyknife Writers Retreat 