Soul Mountain Retreat, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was established in 2004 by poet Marilyn Nelson while serving as Poet Laureate of the State of Connecticut. Our mission is to encourage and support emerging and established poets – especially those belonging to traditionally underrepresented racial or cultural groups. We do this by offering brief guest residencies at Soul Mountain Retreat where, through the creation of a tranquil environment, the respectful companionship of peers and mentors, and the inspiration of the natural surroundings, writers can enjoy contemplative writing time.
Since opening its doors to its first visiting residents, with Marilyn’s guidance and support from Tonya Hegamin, Soul Mountain’s program director from 2004 to 2007, Soul Mountain Retreat has established ongoing relationships with writing programs from the African Continuum Theater Company, Cave Canem, Kundiman, the University of Connecticut, Sarah Lawrence College, New York University, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Through programs like Spring Break Fellows for students in three MFA programs, and an annual Poetry Day for UConn students, Soul Mountain Retreat has created opportunities for some fifty poets and writers to devote time to their craft in an inspiring environment.
Marilyn
Nelson, Founder and Executive Director
“When my book
of poems about the scientist-saint George Washington Carver started to
bear surprising fruit, I suddenly had enough money for a down-payment
on a childhood dream. ...[Now,] poems not my own are being written under
my roof. My guest book is filled with gratitude. So am I."
(from
Marilyn Nelson: "It's Not Too Late to Bring Art to the World,"
"O," The Oprah Magazine, October 2005, p. 298)
Tonya was instrumental in the earliest days of Soul Mountain Retreat, and she completed her three books while living at Soul Mountain: her picturebook, Best Loved in All the World ( Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), her young adult novel, M + O Forever (Houghton Mifflin), and the collaborative novella written with Marilyn Nelson, Pemba's Song (Scholastic).
Rhonda
Ward, Administrative Director, 2007-2008As a person who is passionate about poetry and poets, becoming Administrative Director for Soul Mountain Retreat seemed a perfect way to live out my passion while helping Marilyn Nelson see hers to fruition. The future of this wonderful organization is bright because it is a much-needed place for poets who may not otherwise have such an experience. It truly is a contemplative space. I’m also excited about the rich literary thread Soul Mountain Retreat is weaving into the fabric of the community here in southern Connecticut. I look forward to helping to expand that, bringing an even greater diversity into the arts in this area and beyond. www.rhondawardpoet.com
I describe myself as a mechanic, but rather than fixing machinery I get pleasure from organizing the pieces and developing the processes that bring the order needed to help dreamers turn their intentions into practical, useful systems and activities that help turn their dreams into productive and satisfying realities. Working with Marilyn is a delight, and each poet I meet reminds me that, in the end, it is always about the artist and the words.