The Pink Door Women’s Writing Retreat is exclusively for writers of color. It serves to promote community and dialogue for
writers currently excluded from the dominant cultural narrative; it actively seeks to bring Black women, women of color, trans women, and gender non-conforming writers / activists / scholars / rebels and regional voices into exchange & engagement
with each other to provide a space for mentorship and exploration of ideas while
building an active and informed literary community.
This gathering is a low-cost alternative to the usual writing retreats that present
insurmountable financial and class barriers.
Attendees can expect ten hearty home-cooked meals, three daring writing
workshops and three panel discussions curated by some of the fiercest writers/speakers in the
country. Oh, and lots of mighty juju rising up from our brilliant bodies to polish the moon.
WHERE IS IT?
The retreat is held in the city of Rochester in upstate New York. The neighborhood is nestled between Ontario Lake
and the upper and lower falls.
WHEN IS IT?
Our seventh annual retreat will be held July 26th - 30th. Applications are now open, and due May 1st.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can trans women writers attend?
Absolutely! Our mission has always been to elevate and normalize the lived experiences of all trans and gender non-conforming writers of color. How else are we going to generate love and empathy in others? During the public reading, Poetry & Pie Night, our lucky audience is exposed to stories outside of their personal experiences, which helps compel them to take action or, at the very least, examine their own ideas and beliefs. We are a very protective bunch, and check in with each other every day. Of course, humans are human, so sometimes someone will make a mistake, but we are here to assist in everyone taking accountability for how they speak to and show up (or don’t) for each other. Short version: WE HAVE YOUR BACK.
What if I was assigned “female” at birth but refuse to conform to society’s bullshit
gender binary, use a gender-neutral pronoun, and sometimes present as more masculine-of-center? Can I attend?
Absolutely. And
PLEASE. We are here to celebrate the entire spectrum of your existence! This retreat is as much about empowerment of communities shut out of conversations as it is in sharpening your craft.
I’m pretty anti-social, but I really want to work alongside experienced writers. Do I have to be a kumbaya butterfly the whole time?
NOPE!
We understand the need for solitude as self-care. If you feel overwhelmed or desire some good old-fashioned solitude, we invite you to take a break. Go for a walk through the long grassy knoll, or take a bike or hike along the spectacular trail a few blocks away. There are also waterfalls and a gorgeous monument called The Seat of Remembering and Forgetting. And of course, there is an awesome Victorian cemetery nearby where Frederick Douglass is buried. Oh, and lots of craft supplies if you feel like making a collage of all that’s buzzing in your head.
My diet is really restrictive. Will we be eating pie the entire time?
We always make sure we learn everyone’s allergies and preferences to create meals long before the retreat starts. Our onsite chef is a wizard and has accommodated vegan diets and writers allergic to dairy, gluten, strawberries, tree nuts, fish, lions, tigers, bears etc. There are numerous options for everyone at meal time, and always tasty snacks available in between each meal.
I don’t have formal writing training. Does that matter? No. Through the application process, we are able to determine a well-balanced roster of beginning, intermediate and advanced writers to provide opportunities for both growth and leadership.
Support Pink Door! Our dream is to make our already low-cost retreat tuition-free! Please consider donating!
