Retreat

The retreat provides a natural environment where we get a break from being perceived by other people. We have one close neighbor, an older couple who are often gone while I’m there. There is a grocery store, a gas station, and a few shops in the very small town of Boulder Junction, about twenty minutes by car or an hour by bicycle. The cabin is co-owned by my family and their friends, and almost every year for the past decade, they have graciously given a week or two to me rent free. Since 2016, I have been inviting artists to share this time and use the space to think, write, and focus on their art without the pressure to produce, or any specific expectations other than to be present; away from screens and the internet. Those who have only made it for two nights still appreciated the experience, the general consensus being that time is truly on your side here. The cabin was built on the edge of a no motor lake in the 1930s, across from state forest, which means there are no properties facing the cabin for miles. We are located at the end of a private dead end road.

In 2023, I brought visiting artists out on the lake by canoe to the raft so they could have time to write in true solitude. In the future I hope this will be something others want to do, even if they can’t swim, like these two, pictured below. Using part of an unrestricted grant I won for my art in the spring, I was able to give $500 stipends to one returning and one new visiting artist. I have always given priority to artists who have not had the experience of spending time at a cabin in the woods, and I have encouraged my former students to express interest. There is no official application, and I have called it an invite-only retreat, but that was mainly for it to be closed to the public (I need to know who’s interested).

We have a canoe and a rowboat, life jackets and seats that double as floatation devices. The lake is small but drops off and is as deep as 40 feet in the middle. Cell phone service is hard to come by, so paper maps are available and an analog compass is recommended if you want to explore the surrounding northwoods. We share our small lake with ten neighbors, and a pair of loons who nest on the shore.

Each year I make some equipment available for photographers, filmmakers, musicians, and writers. In the past I have used fellowship money to invest in much of the following with this retreat in mind:

  • 2 Chalkboard Room Dividers

  • 24 x 18 inch light table

  • Portable Standing Easel

  • Drafting table + cutting mats

  • 80s Polaroid Film Camera (request film qty)

  • Olympia SM-9 De Luxe Manual Typewriter

  • Canon 5D Mark ii + 55mm lens, CF cards, cords, readers, and adapters, neck strap, bag

  • M2 MacBook w/Logic Pro DAW

  • Righty & Lefty Acoustic Guitars

  • Vintage tape decks for cassette production

  • M-Audio Oxygen Pro 49 MIDI Keyboard with sustain pedal, bench + keyboard stand

  • Tascam Digital PortaStudio DP-24SD

  • Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface, Focused Studio Microphone + Pop Filter

  • Fender Mustang Micro Headphone Guitar Amp + Studio Headphones

  • Cords and adapters for this gear are available

  • 4 light stands, 2 umbrella reflectors, 2 pheno square reflector softboxes, studio daylight bulbs

  • Zenith Backdrop Stand Support System with white, black, and green muslin water-resistant backdrops

  • I would also like to invest in field recording equipment, such as zoom recorders, portable sound mixers, and shotgun microphones with wind shields.

There will be insect repellent, sunscreen, first aid, etc., and towels in the bathroom. It is a log cabin, but we have a washer and dryer, bathroom with shower, and a full kitchen with an open floor plan to the living room. Meals can also be enjoyed at the table on the screened-in porch.

The cabin isn’t winterized, and snow falls from October until as late as May. This means we share the cabin from May through September, and the time I have to myself there changes every year; whatever the season, pack warm clothes. There is a gas furnace centrally located in the cabin, as well as a natural fireplace in the living room. WiFi is available at the cabin for safety but screens are discouraged on this retreat. The internet connection is necessary for most phone calls.