Storyknife Writers Retreat

Thank you!

This morning I woke up to the aurora borealis in the morning sky. It was a stunning show, green, white, and red curtains billowing over the stars. It made me grateful to live in Alaska and to be able to share this place with so many women writers. And grateful to all of the people who support Storyknife.

Let me take a moment to thank the 296 individuals, businesses, and foundations that supported the women writers of Storyknife last year. (Please take a moment to go to our website and see who they are.) Without you, we couldn’t provide the space and the time that writers need to devote themselves wholeheartedly to their craft. Your generosity puts flowers by the bedsides, gorgeous food on the dinner table, heat in the cabins, and lights at the desks. More, it provides this magical place where women writers are told in every detail and every day, YOU are important and your story is important.

Storyknife has just five full years of residencies under her belt. In 2025, we reached 240 women writers in residency hosted in the cabins at Storyknife. Because of the generosity of donors, we’ve been able to provide safe haven for women to devote themselves to their work.

We cannot know what the future will bring, but I have faith that the stories of women will show us the path to wholeness.

Thank you again for being part of building Storyknife and supporting the women writers that come here.

Sincerely,
Erin

PS The photo of the aurora over Storyknife was taken by Jen Stever in 2023. It was too cold and early for me to trek out to get a shot this morning.

PPS If you are a supporter and find that your name is incorrect (or worse, missing) on the Storyknife Supporters page, please send me an email and I will correct the error immediately. Thank you!

Honoring Nancy Nordhoff

The photo on the left is one that Dana took of Nancy the day she left Hedgebrook in October 1989. The one on the right, Erin, Storyknife’s ED took of Dana the first year Storyknife was open open. We framed both together & sent one to Nancy and kept one for us.

Last week, a bright light left the world. Nancy Nordhoff, one of Hedgebrook’s founders and amazing visionary and philanthropist passed away surrounded by her wife Lynn Hays and her family and friends.

Storyknife is one of the seeds that Nancy helped to nourish. Her friendship and mentorship of Storyknife’s founder Dana Stabenow is one of the deep reasons that Storyknife came into existence.

Dana writes:

I first met Nancy Nordhoff when I was accepted for a residency at Hedgebrook. This was back in 1989, the first year they were open, and Nancy was still very much hands on. In fact, that first night of my residency, at dinner I started to get up to help clear the table, and she said, very firmly, “Sit down. You’ve already done your work for the day.”

That was the first time anyone had ever acted around me like writing was a real job. It was also the first time I’d ever met other actual women writers. And during my two weeks at Hedgebrook I remained in a continual state of amazement that someone, anyone had built something so beautiful in such a beautiful place specifically for us. That kind of faith is infinitely empowering. I was never going to fail as a writer after Hedgebrook.

The day I left I told her, “I don’t know how I’m going to do it but I am going to do something like this in Alaska.” She invited me back for Hedgebrook’s 25th reunion and I told her then that I was ready to start moving on a women writers retreat in Homer, Alaska. She was silent for a moment, and then she gave me one of those patented Nancy Nordhoff looks, stern and steady, and said, “You understand, what you build in Homer won’t be the same as Hedgebrook. It will be something different.”

And then she and at her behest the team at Hedgebrook spent the years between that day and 2019 when we started to build supporting us, sharing their advice, their experiences, steering us around the kinds of traps that materialize in front of anyone who starts a nonprofit and especially one benefitting women. Through it all, Nancy was always ready to talk, to listen, and to support the organization as a donor. There were plenty of times when I wondered what the hell I’d gotten myself into but Nancy could always talk me back down to the ground.

She believed in me. She believed in me when she accepted me as a resident at Hedgebrook in 1989, she believed I would succeed as a writer when I left, and she believed in me when I built Storyknife. I would not be the person I am without Nancy Nordhoff in my life, and Storyknife wouldn’t exist if Hedgebrook had not led the way.

Now she’s gone, but the light from her star in my personal firmament is still shining. It always will.

Please join us in holding Nancy, her wife and family and friends, and our sisters at Hedgebrook in your hearts.

Welcome in the Light!

The last days of 2025 are here. I’d like to take a moment to thank you for your support in all its many forms this year. Some of you have sent lovely emails, some have shared Storyknife’s social media posts, and some have had the ability to send a donation.

Because of your generosity Storyknife has reached its year-end challenge match! Thank you! You made it possible for women writers to devote real unfettered time to their craft. You kept the lights on at Storyknife and put the delicious food on the table. In 2025, you supported these amazing writers: Maria Hamilton Abegunde, ‘Pemi Aguda, Alisa Alering, Catina Bacote, Clementine Bordeaux, Bella Bravo, Stephanie Brown, M Soledad Caballero, Heather Litnauwista Metrokin Cannon, Abigail Chabitnoy, Cherilyn Chin, Mary Leauna Christensen, Angie Chuang, Kalilinoe Detwiler, Jennifer Dickinson, Shannon Kelly Donahue, Alisha Drabek, Asa Drake, Heid Erdrich, Latria Graham, Caprice Gray, Vivian Hu, Kirsten Imani Kasai, Geeta Kothari, Elizabeth Lee, Mimi Lok, Amy Ludwig, Amanda Machado, Vanessa Mártir, Melanie Merle, Sibylla Nash, Christola Phoenix, Monique Quintana, Kellie Richardson, Clarisse Baleja Saidi, Yaccaira Salvatierra, ire’ne lara silva, Catherine Malcynsky Snyder, Vera Starbard, Laura-Gray Street, Ning Sullivan, Lindsey Toya-Tosa, Raksha Vasudevan, Alyssa Velazquez, Renae Watchman, Renee White Eyes, Diane Wilson, Pamela Woolford, and Kristen Millares Young.

In 2026, there will be fifty more women writers who will take part in the magic of Storyknife. Writers who will be building and rebuilding the world with their stories.

For many people, 2025 has been a year of fear and uncertainty, a year that has harrowed. For literary nonprofits, funding has been reduced or stripped away entirely. For women, voices have been silenced, rights reduced, autonomy threatened. The winter winds at Storyknife have been strong and relentless, but we are still here sheltering the flame. We will not stop nourishing the voices of women writers because we believe that their stories are absolutely fundamental to our shared humanity.

May the new year bring you and yours everything you need to thrive and create.

Sincerely,
Erin

PS If you are one of those people who wait until the last few days of the year to decide which organizations you’d like to support, the 2026 cohort of women writers at Storyknife would appreciate your gift.

Happy Holidays! 🌟

Bishop’s Beach in Homer, moments before sunrise on winter solstice this year.

Dear Community of Storyknife,

Yesterday was the winter solstice, a time that every Alaskan knows deeply in their bones as the return of the light. Of course, it isn’t instant; the nights will continue stretch long and the days will be short, but each day we’ll gain a little more sunshine.

This season of year has throughout the centuries been a time of stories. Our ancestors gathered around fires and told them, keeping the darkness at bay and forging the ties of community. We hope that during this season you will also have the opportunity to gather with family, chosen or given, and friends. We hope that you will tell the stories that, while recognizing the darkness, rejoice in the light.

We are grateful for the family of 240 writers who’ve joined us at Storyknife through the years to devote themselves to their writing. And for the 50 that will be joining us in 2026. We are grateful for all 246 individuals who’ve supported Storyknife this year through their donations. We are grateful for all of the stories, expressed in poems, essays, novels, plays, movies, short stories, and more, that build a bigger picture of what our world can be.

We are grateful for your open hearts and for each other, the Board of Storyknife, our Advisory Committee, the writers in residence, and the staff, me, Maura and Katie.

May this holiday season bring you all light and love.

Sincerely,
Erin

Give a Gift from Storyknife This Holiday Season (for yourself is okay, too) 🎁📚

As we head into the holiday season, we’re excited to share two wonderful ways you can find meaningful gifts for the readers and writers in your life and support Storyknife.

✨ Browse our Storyknife Book List on Bookshop.org
We’ve curated a special Storyknife book list filled with powerful reads by the women writers who’ve had residencies at Storyknife. There is no way you can go wrong purchasing any of these titles, and to make it easy, we’ve broken it down into categories of fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry, children’s books, and award winners. When you purchase through our Bookshop.org page, a portion of the proceeds directly supports Storyknife’s mission to champion women authors.

Explore the list and find your next great read—or the perfect gift!

👕 Give (or Get!) Storyknife Merch!
Show your support in style! Our merch shop has Storyknife t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies that make thoughtful, cozy holiday presents while helping sustain our residencies and programming. And if that’s not your style, there’s canvas tote bags, insulated mugs, and water bottles!

Just last week, we released a new design celebrating all women writers. Wear your love of the stories women tell proudly on your chest.

Every purchase you make—whether a book or a t-shirt—helps ensure that women writers have the space, time, and community they need to create their work. We’re deeply grateful for your continued support.

Thank you for helping us keep the fire of women’s stories burning bright this holiday season.

Last Week Reminded Me Why Storyknife Exists

This note will break all the rules of the end-of-year fundraising. It’ll be too long and too personal. But as we enter into a season that is centered on gratitude, I find myself wanting to tell you about how that manifests for me and Storyknife.

This past week, the person who holds the highest office in the United States pointed his finger at a respected woman reporter and said, “Quiet. Quiet, Piggy.” And I suspect that I reacted like a lot of women who have been shamed and silenced in work and in personal relationships; I was livid. I’m not sure what’s an appropriate amount of anger for the situation, but let’s just say in the lingo of younger generation, I was triggered. I spent a lot of time walking in the cold weather and trying to calm myself. I have not been very successful.

Each cabin at Storyknife has a journal in which the writers leave a note for whomever will stay next. The journals stay with the cabins, and other than the writers, the only folks who ever read them are sometimes the staff. This year, because fundraising has been so challenging, I thought reading them would bolster me in my efforts.

As I read them last week, I could feel myself see-sawing between a thawing gratitude and a stiffening steel. Sure, there are plenty of suggestions about where to find the cutest neighborhood dogs, best sticky buns, favorite meals. Also, directions on how to arrange the desks to get the best views and how to see the most moose. But what I found echoed over and over is gratitude and relief. Finally, a place where these women writers not only felt cherished but felt free to listen to their own stories and their own rhythms. Rest if you need it. Read the books left behind by the writers before you. Eat as many chocolates or brownies or leftover soup as you want to. Write through the whole night. Dance and lift weights and take walks and talk with your cohort and love yourself.

So yes, gratitude. I feel so thankful that I get to work with these amazing women (the writers in residence and Maura and Katie and the Storyknife Board). I feel such gratitude that I get to see the many moments when the writers’ eyes are shining because their work is flowing. I get to remind them how important their writing is. How they will change the narrative.

And that steel comes from my decades of being told and watching other women be told to be quiet, seeing them be disrespected and brought low. Storyknife stands for the opposite – Shout your stories! We lift you and we respect you! We want the very best for the writers and their writing. We want to celebrate them in every way. And I know that I speak for myself and Maura and Katie and the Storyknife Board when I say we are committed to keep providing the opportunity for women writers to have the space and time to devote to their work. We are committed to creating this place that will hold them even after they go home.

Some more gratitude. Grateful also for the individuals, foundations, and businesses that support the women writers of Storyknife – who choose to give a financial contribution in this time when so many are asking. The writers of Storyknife couldn’t spend this precious time devoting themselves to their work without the support of so many people. Because of you, we will keep saying to the writers, your story is important. YOU are important. We will shout it and sing it and fold it into beautiful meals and flowers by the bedsides.

Hey, during this hectic holiday season take some time to read a poem or essay or memoir or novel or short story written by a woman. You’ll be grateful, too, for the way the world widens under their pens. May we all rejoice in their stories. May we all be made bigger with their generosity.

Sincerely,
Erin

With Gratitude: Storyknife Founder Steps Into a New Chapter

Storyknife Writers Retreat announces that Dana Stabenow is transitioning from Board President to take on a leadership role on the Storyknife Endowment Committee. Dana is the founder of Storyknife Writers Retreat, established in 2014 and one of only two women’s writing retreats in the United States. At the end of the 2025 and after five full-seasons of residences, Storyknife will have provided support for 240 women writers, including a recent Pulitzer Prize winner, several National Book Award finalists, and many other award-winners as well as writers just starting in their journeys.

Dana will support the organization in her new role as Endowment Committee chair in order to ensure the stable longevity of the organization. She will continue to fund the Joan Perry Barnes Fellowship each year as well as the Golden-Crowned Sparrow Travel Fund, and support the Founder’s Match each April.

Dana says, “Storyknife was my dream, and how many people get to watch their dreams come true? I look out my office window at Storyknife and I know I am one of the luckiest people who ever lived. Now all I want to do is ensure that my dream will live on.” The board and staff of Storyknife celebrate Dana Stabenow’s hard work and vision and will work to guarantee that the organization she founded continues far into the future.

Stepping into the role of Storyknife Board President is the current Vice President, Paula Martin. Paula, a retired professor and college administrator, fell in love with Homer when she saw the view from Baycrest. When she learned about Dana’s dream for Storyknife, she wanted to join the work: creating space and time for women writers in a stunning location. She is honored to be part of the dream.

Dana will transition from her role as Board President in January 2026 and Martin will step up at that time. The board and staff of Storyknife are excited to work with Dana and Paula in their new positions and are committed to furthering Storyknife Writers Retreat’s important mission to provide women writers with the time and space to pursue their craft.

Please join us in sharing our immense gratitude for Dana’s vision and hard work to make Storyknife a reality.

2025 Writers in Residence at Storyknife – Celebration!

Fifty women writers spent two to four weeks at Storyknife this year, and we sure do miss each one of them! They came from as far away as Toronto, Ontario and as close as Haines, Alaska (which is not very close if you drive like Shannon did). 28% wrote fiction, 26% wrote creative non-fiction, 26% wrote poetry, and the remaining 20% was split evenly between children’s literature, screenwriting/plays, and academic writing. April’s cohort started with snowy walks and then we transitioned all the way to September and October’s writers who were treated to rain and fog. In between there was fireweed growing, blossoming, and blowing seed, moose in all their varieties, a porcupine, the neighbor’s tiny scrappy dogs, and sunsets galore.

The movie above is the 2025 writers in all their smiling glory (and sometimes rain gear). The Alums and Fellows page has been updated, so treat yourself to reading more about these wonderful writers and explore their websites!

Each year, foundations and individuals support fellowships for writers at Storyknife. Each fellowship is awarded based on the priorities of the sponsor. Please go to this page to learn more about the generous sponsors of these fellowships and travel funds. Storyknife is so grateful for their support.

The 2025 Fellows are:
The Aglauti Fellowship – Alisha Drabek
Alaska Native Art and Culture Writing Fellowship – Abigail Chabitnoy and Vera Starbard
Barbara G. Peters Fellowship – Caprice Gray
Evangeline Atwood Fellowship – Shannon Kelly Donahue
Fireweed Fellowship – Mary Leauna Christensen
Joan Perry Barnes Fellowship – Alisa Alering
Katahdin Fellowship – Ning Sullivan
Kenai Lake Fellowship – Latria Graham
Mary Ellen State Fellowship – Stephanie Brown
Rona Jaffe Foundation Fellowship – Asa Drake
Condor Travel Fund – Vanessa Mártir

Lucille Wilson Travel Fund – Kalilinoe Detwiler
Arliss Sturgulewski Travel Fund – Raksha Vasudevan
Philip A. Block Travel Fund – Clementine Bordeaux
Snow Goose Travel Fund – Renae Watchman
Soroptimist International of Anchorage Travel Fund – Lindsey Toya-Tosa

In the next few weeks, the final selections will be made for the 2026 Storyknife writers cohort. It has been a difficult and time-consuming process, but each round of adjudicators has expressed how impressed they’ve been with the quality of the work. If you’re waiting for your response, please know that it will go out before November 15.

Yes! I want to support the women writers of Storyknife

Yoga Nidra for Creativity Class

On October 23, 5:30-6:30pm at Dharmic Spruce Studio (1044 E End Rd)

This is an IN PERSON ONLY class. Free to those registered. Registration below.

Nidra, which translates as “sleep,” is a guided mindfulness practice meant to induce a state of deep relaxation, a space between sleeping and waking. Our session will involve some gentle movement, about 35-40 minutes of nidra, and a brief closing with pranayama/breathwork and tapping. Nidra is considered suitable for folks with any level of movement experience.

Instructor Melanie Merle:
A member of the Chickasaw Nation, Melanie grew up between Oklahoma and Colorado, eventually attending Regis University and completing her MFA in Creative Writing in 2018. Her first published piece, DownRiver, was selected as a runner-up for the inaugural James Welch Prize through Poetry Northwest in 2021, and subsequently chosen for inclusion in the anthology, Infinite Constellations: An Anthology of Identity, Culture, and Speculative Conjunctions (University of Alabama Press). In 2022, Melanie was honored to share the James Welch Prize with Halee Kirkwood. Shortly after, she was invited to join Indigenous Nations Poets as a fellow, attending retreats in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Her work is featured in various journals, including New South, Hairstreak Butterfly Review, and the Handweavers Guild of America publication, Shuttle, Spindle, and Dy Pot. Since 1993, Melanie has engaged a mindfulness practice, as well as studying yoga asana in its diverse forms. After almost two decades leading studio classes, she shifted to teaching a gentle fundamentals class online in 2020, sharing the benefits of yoga nidra as part of every class.

Coffee Table on KBBI

Listen to the Coffee Table discussion held on August 20th with members of the Storyknife cohort and Executive Director Erin Hollowell.

Click Here for Recording on KBBI Public Radio

Alisa Alering is the author of the novel “Smothermoss,” (Tin House, 2024) a Shirley Jackson Award finalist that the New York Times Book Review calls “deliciously weird…a compulsive journey through a wild, unknowable landscape and the wilder hearts of young girls.” A former librarian and science and technology reporter, they grew up in the Appalachian mountains of Pennsylvania. They find the natural world equal parts comforting and terrifying.

Stephanie Brown is a Black speculative fiction writer creating stories about Earth and space, home and the unknown. Her stories have been published in Augur Magazine and Astral: Alien Fiction. She holds an MFA in English and was named the 2025 Mary Ellen State Fellow at Storyknife Writers Retreat.

Cherilyn Chin is a marine biologist, children’s book author and freelance science journalist. She has an award-winning ocean conservation blog, Ocean of Hope. Her life purpose is to bring to light the plight of our oceans and to reconnect people to nature.

Geeta Kothari edited ‘Did My Mama Like to Dance?’ and Other Stories about Mothers and Daughters, and she is the author of I Brake for Moose and Other Stories. Her most recent essay, “To the Man who Poisoned My Mother,” was named a Notable Essay in Best American Essays 2022.

Amy Ludwig lives in Los Angeles. Her stage adaptation of Sandra Cisneros’ “The House on Mango Street” has had over 35 productions nationwide. As a director in Chicago, she developed numerous new plays and created original site-specific works. She is writing a historical play to be performed with lantern slides.

A prize-winning journalist and essayist, Kristen Millares Young is the author of the novel Subduction, named a staff pick by The Paris Review. Deemed “whip-smart” by the Washington Post and a “brilliant debut” by the Seattle Times, Subduction was a finalist for two International Latino Book Awards. Red Hen Press will release her memoir Desire Lines on October 6, 2026.