Join Me On A Food Writing Retreat in Rural Japan
Some scholarship spots are now open.
Last fall, the author and writer Hannah Kirshner and I teamed up to host our first ever food writing retreat in the countryside of Japan, where Hannah resides for most of the year and has written about extensively.
A cohort of eight joined us in Hannah’s dreamy, then recently renovated open-air kitchen, where we spent the better part of a week mulling over the anatomy of a recipe—and how it holds not just instructions, but cultural context.
Hannah and I like to keep a leisurely pace, with classes in the morning, daily tea time, and plenty of space in the afternoon to wander the town, soak in the onsen, and interact with the lively and generous cast of characters who reside in the quaint mountain town of Yamanaka.
I was pregnant then and had notably, just gotten over the crippling nausea of the first trimester the day before I arrived. Being in Yamanaka, with the crisp mountain air and the company of thoughtful, talented writers, was great medicine. I felt invigorated afterward; at times I forgot entirely that I was pregnant.
Though billed as a series of lectures and readings, the workshop became something closer to a community—a rare convergence of kind, like-minded people, with an easy synergy that left Hannah and me wondering how we got so lucky. Just as striking was how seamlessly the townspeople folded into our week: a vegetable sommelier teaching us to make persimmon leaf sushi, an innkeeper taking students out for drinks—no doubt the result of the deep friendships Hannah has cultivated over the years.
In short, we had such a spectacular time that we’re doing it all over again.
We’re hosting our second inaugural Yamanaka food writing retreat this October, with returning special guest, the novelist, Bryan Washington—whose most recent novel Palaver just won the LA Times Book Prize.
Details on the price, the curriculum, and how to apply are on Hannah’s website.
I’m also pleased to announce that we’re opening up a couple of scholarship spots. A generous friend of mine from college is comping one full and two partial seats. If you need financial support, you can indicate that in the bottom section of the application.
Whether you’re deep into a cookbook proposal or simply in a creative lull, I encourage you to apply if it feels within reach.
Looking forward to reading your applications.