About Kate and Birds & Muses

An internationally recognized writer of award-winning, best-selling literary fiction and creative nonfiction, Kate is best known for her acclaimed novel Wintering, published in 17 languages, her memoir Cakewalk, and her tenure as a founding editor of Salon’s Mothers Who Think. With four decades of experience in book, magazine, and online publishing, nonprofit arts administration, community organizing for women artists, and advanced-level teaching of writing, Kate established Birds & Muses in 2017 to share her expertise with aspiring women-identified writers through ongoing, one-on-one mentorship and hands-on, collaborative editorial guidance. In addition to her individual mentorships Kate hosts small-group, writing-intensive retreats and directs Bookgardan, an annual, 13-month writing mentorship program for women writers, now in its sixth year.

Accommodations & Fees

The residency fee includes accommodations, all meals, and the program & curriculum for the week for each participant. Travel to & from the residency and optional longer manuscript reviews are not included.

For an image gallery that provides an overview of the property’s amenities and ambiance, click here.

Click below for image galleries of each cabin, including photos of bedrooms.

Enrollment, Accommodations & Meals

Enrollment for this 7-night residency will be first-come, first-served and limited to 10 participants, who will be housed on Hewnoaks’ serene and lovely 19-acre campus on the wooded eastern shore of Kezar Lake, purpose-built as an idyllic, secluded artists’ retreat by its founders in the early 1900s. Hewnoaks’ cabins, which vary from single- to small group-occupancy, all have expansive lake views and retain much of their original rustic, arts-and-crafts décor and character.  All cabins have simple kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms, with the main lodge a common gathering place for group meetings and meals. In keeping with the goal of providing protected, unencumbered time for the making of art, there is no WiFi in the cabins and cell service is virtually nonexistent, with a communications room for WiFi and a landline in the main lodge. Lodging option choices will be first-come, first-served upon enrollment.

The residency includes all meals, with a simple, seasonal vegetarian menu utilizing local foods wherever possible; cabin kitchens will be stocked with fixings for on-your-own breakfasts and lunches. Group dinners will be prepared by residency staff and served in the main lodge. As with all Birds & Muses retreats, Kate’s homemade granola and chocolate chip cookies will be on tap.

An important note about the Hewnoaks campus and facilities: while situated on a magnificent overlook with direct shore access, Hewnoaks is not for everyone. Built over a century ago, Hewnoaks offers basic, Maine camp-style accommodations in charming, if quirky and somewhat ramshackle cottages. Like many seasonal properties, maintenance issues sometimes arise. For this reason, Hewnoaks caters to adventurous spirits who are unperturbed by close proximity to nature (read: bugs and woodland creatures), and comfortable in no-frills lodgings in rural settings. It is very dark at night and can be very quiet. Our historic property has steep hills and unpaved paths; participants with limited mobility may have difficulty navigating the property. If you have questions or concerns about this, please email program staff at info@hewnoaks.org.

The Program & Curriculum

The Hewnoaks-Birds & Muses Residency will offer sanctuary and time in which to write, make room for the imaginative wandering that leads to writing, and provide guidance and mentorship as desired and appropriate for each writer. This opportunity is designed for writers deeply committed to their craft, whether they are published or yet to be published. It’s important to note that this is not a pampered retreat but a focused environment where serious writers can intensively immerse themselves in process and develop their work.

And a significant benefit of a group residency is the shared power created by like-minded, engaged artists coming together to do their work; there’s a lasting artistic contrail from that sense of belonging. To that end, every evening after dinner the group will be invited to gather to share their work by reading to each other – an obligation-free, stress-free alternative to the workshop model that has become a beloved, foundational practice for Birds & Muses writers.

Each participant will receive a 90-minute individual conference with Kate about their writing and project, and may submit 20 pages of writing for discussion. (Longer manuscript reviews may be scheduled outside of the residency week for an optional fee of 4¢ per word.)

The curriculum of the daily group seminar-style craft & process sessions will be finalized based on the needs of the enrolled residents, but will include daily generative prompts designed to open up the possibilities of each writer’s project, wherever they are in their process. Morning sessions will offer a foundational introduction to literary craft unique to Birds & Muses teaching: a non-academic and decidedly more artistic, intuitive, and emotionally/sensorily based approach to literary artistry than is typically taught. Generative assignments will help writers at this stage recognize areas of passion and curiosity that could lead to bigger or more refined projects. Afternoon sessions will take the form of discussion of aspects of late revision and literary professionalism, such as guidance toward publication and seeking support for their work.