From the Farmhouse Table: October 2020
by Elise Miller, Interim Executive Director
The Power of Words
We are thrilled to begin with a hearty congratulations to Hedgebrook Alumna, Jacqueline Woodson on her 2020 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship! We are thrilled that her words are shaping the world and making it "... bigger and better.” Check out more about this prestigious and well-deserved award!
The phenomenal women writers who come to Hedgebrook know the power of words – the power to inspire or denigrate, to soothe or provoke, to uplift or oppress. In keeping with our desire to do better, we at Hedgebrook are consciously reviewing the words we’ve traditionally used to determine which ones no longer serve our commitment to racial justice. For example, we have held “Master Classes” for years, a term employed by many organizations offering workshops and retreats. “Master” has connotations that imply hierarchy, patriarchy and racism – not values we want to espouse in any way. For this reason, we are rebranding our former Master Classes as Radical Craft Retreats.
Radical hospitality, radical generosity and radical reciprocity are all embedded in Hedgebrook’s ethos, so renaming the retreats – where writers craft their work in radical ways that change how society thinks about equity, racial justice, intersectionality and much more – Radical Craft Retreats accurately reflects our mission in the world. In addition, we firmly believe that we are all teachers and learners in every relationship we have; because of our unique life experiences, we all have something important to contribute, regardless of whether we have been published or not.
We invite you to learn more about our first virtual Radical Craft Retreats (RCRs) we’re offering later this Fall. We are delighted that our fabulous teachers are willing to try this experimental new format with us and hope you will consider participating. We will offer in person RCRs again as soon as that is possible!
“In a time when community is restricted, Hedgebrook gives sanctuary for women to write the stories that are changing our world through our workshops and retreats.”
Speaking of taking a radical retreat, I also invite you all to consider what that could mean in your own life right now, whether or not you participate in Hedgebrook’s RCRs. This past weekend I had the incredible gift of staying in a cabin on the Olympic Peninsula, a getaway I committed to for myself after months at a nonstop pace. I didn’t realize how exhausted I was until I arrived and all the adrenaline that I had been running on drained away. I slept 11 hours the first night and took naps the next day as well. There was no internet and I didn’t look at the news for three days. I returned with so much more spaciousness to face the onslaught of challenges at work, at home and in our society. I know this is a privilege that is not available to everyone, but I urge you to do something each day that nourishes you – even if it is only for 15 minutes. We help no one if we burn out ourselves. This is an oft repeated reminder typically ignored by women who bear a disproportionate amount of responsibility for others’ welfare, but please do it for yourself and everyone around you. We need you – in fact the world needs you – to give yourself a break, so you can stay well and keep speaking your truth.