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Writer’s Retreat I have the computer open but first I need to test out the kitchen chairs. Do I sit here? Do I sit here? I try each one several times and then deduce that none are magic. Briefly, I long to be someone who walks to work, who carries a lunch pail. It could be a thermos or a plastic container, brightly coloured. Out the window, a farmhand, striding past the cows with lunch for later. Or is it a box of tools? Regardless, he emits purpose. I imagine him unburdened, with clear choices. When a cow lays down, is it making a decision to be there for a while? Does it mind the labour of standing back up? I moo at them, why not. At 8:33am, with coffee and motivation both cooling, no masterpieces have yet been written. Days later, I fall down rabbit holes of inconsequential research. How many homes in the Hamptons are listed for more than $30 million. Hey, Zillow? What about Michigan? It starts with a daydream of property. How many cottages remain on this island? Could a poet someday buy one? I consult the real estate guide so I can feel despair. Get it together. I try to understand money. Do I grow it like a garden? What is an IPO? Can I also play the stock market? No. I go back to work. I play with words. Trillionaires will profit off my taxes, another mystery. I pack a snack for the beach, I bring a blanket as a cottage, eye level with the sea.
I have been surrounded by lupins, cows, and quiet as the 2026 Writer-in-Residence at The Hideout, on PEI’s south shore. It’s been restful and productive. Besides poems and notes, I’ve been working on my next show, yet to be titled. It’s a continuation of Seeker, a solo work I performed last summer at Victoria Playhouse. I’m excited to keep working on it and to present a workshop version later this year.
This weekend, I will be back in my own home, with my cats and my chores. I’ve missed watering seedlings and digging weeds and cutting grass, but this time has been a luxury, a deep breath before summer’s pace picks up.
I’ll be heading west in July to present Mass for Shut-Outs at Found Festival in Edmonton and I can’t wait. Please tell your Alberta friends. We’ll also be performing the Mass on PEI this summer, in Kings and Queens County. Details below (hey Prince County, we’ll be your way someday, too).
Happy long days of solstice sky,
Tanya
Mass for Shut-Outs is a shout out to anyone grappling with the complexity of faith, the inconsistency of awe, and the politics of organized religion. Loosely referencing the framework of a Catholic mass, it is a poetic take on Sunday service, exploring enduring questions through a joyful, critical, and comedic lens. It is for atheists seeking connection, agnostics asking questions, and believers kindly curious about other people’s gods.
Tickets are on sale now!
Get yours by clicking on the links below.
Found Festival, Edmonton: July 9 - 12
Can’t attend a performance but still want to support? You can help by sharing this newsletter, ticket links, and social media posts, and telling all your friends.
The Hideout is a beautiful place to spend time. Here’s a peak:
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