Literary Magic Coming to Doe Bay

Thursday – Sunday, April 6 – 9, Doe Bay Resort

— by Ayn Gailey —

What do you get when you combine the beautiful rugged setting of Doe Bay Resort on Orcas Island with an intimate gathering of writers, musical artists, and poets? The Write Doe Bay Workshop & Retreat. Some would also say magic.

One of the original founders of Write Doe Bay, Jennifer Beck Furber, who hails from San Juan Island, describes Write’s first priority as “community and breaking down barriers to get to the heart of everyone.” A visit to their website further conveys how they are distinct from other writing workshops and retreats. The relaxed northwest island lifestyle obviously plays a big role in the aesthetic of Write Doe Bay. So, too, it is clear that a sense of community and the power of storytelling are the bonds that tie the young to the young at heart and inspires the writer that burns in many of us.

“Through shared meals and close space within an ocean-side house, we’ll explore fiction and memoir and song and art and publishing and essays and film.  We’ll laugh.  Some of us will cry.  We’ll make new friends and a whole lot of memories.”

Since first launching the program in Spring 2015, Write Doe Bay has hosted award-winning authors/artists of genres ranging from memoir, fiction, screenplay, songwriting, and poetry. The retreat embraces both new writers crafting their very first story, and experienced wordsmiths looking for inspiration and to be surrounded by creative energy.

The Write Doe Bay team also acknowledges Orcas Islanders Joe Brotherton, of Doe Bay Resort & Retreat, who has been an integral supporter of Write from their earliest days of inception and our own Eastsound bookstore, Darvill’s, for being integral to making this literary project a reality.

This year’s upcoming workshop takes place Apr. 6 thru 9, and the teaching artists include: Claire Bidwell Smith, the award-winning author of The Rules of Inheritance and After This: When Life is Over Where Do We Go?; Joy Prouty, visual artist and writer; Sam Ligon, flash fiction teaching artist; and Mikey Gervais and Faustine Hudson will lead a workshop on music and songwriting.

Tickets include: Two-plus days of writing workshops with incredible talent; Intimate concert with featured Write musical talent; Literary open mic; Accommodations from Thursday night – Sunday morning. Overnight tickets are sold out, but there are $400 day-use tickets for Orcas Island residents available. Day-use tickets include workshop activities Thursday-Sunday (open mic, concert, 5-workshops). Meals and lodging excluded.

For more information, visit www.writedoebay.com.

Photos courtesy of Write Doe Bay.