RETREAT INFO
SEPTEMBER 5-8, 2025 - The Writers in the Round Retreat comes at the end season, where the staff is thinner and the island is quieter. We share the island with a Chamber Orchestra, a women's group that practices yoga, meditation, and art projects, and the Star Island Historical Society. There are always interesting conversations to have with other conferees, who share an appreciation for the rare combination of isolation and community that Star Island offers.
STAFF & FACILITATORS
Ellen Taylor chaired the Writers in the Round retreat with her dear friend, Craig Werth, from 2012 - 2021, and now continues with help from her WITR friends. She grew up on the coast of NH, sailing to Star Island on the family home-crafted catboat, The Flying Clod. Ellen is a practicing poet, with three collections of poems, most recently, Homelands (2023). She teaches writing and literature at the University of Maine at Augusta, as well as in the Maine prison education program. Ellen lives with her family in Appleton, ME.
Stuart Kestenbaum is the author of six collections of poems, most recently Things Seemed to Be Breaking (Deerbrook Editions 2021), and a collection of essays The View from Here (Brynmorgen Press). He served as Maine’s poet laureate from 2016-2021, and was the host of the Maine Public Radio program Poems from Here and the host/curator of the podcasts Make/Time and Voices of the Future. He collaborated with visual artist Susan Webster on A Quiet Book (Brynmorgen Press 2024), a collection of collages and improvised handwritten text.
Guy Capecelatro is a prolific, pop storyteller from Portsmouth, NH. With the strong motivation to produce, Guy participated in the RPM Challenge, a contest where songwriters are challenged to complete an album in one month. Citing influences that include authors as well as musicians, Guy views his writing as fiction or stories that "end up being bull-dogged into songs." Since he moved to the Portsmouth scene in 1987, he's played in several bands. He currently runs his own record label, Two Ton Santa and already started recording the basic tracks to 27 songs.
Jud Caswell will be leading our songwriting workshops. Jud Caswell is an award-winning songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has been performing in his native state of Maine and beyond for more than 25 years. In 2006 he made a splash on the national scene, winning the legendary Kerrville New Folk competition. He’s had his songs taught at Berklee, recorded by Judy Collins, and named “#4 Song of the Decade” by New York’s WFUV. His record “Live at the Seagull Shop” was the number 1 album on the Folk Alliance International radio charts in March of 2020.
ACTIVITIES
The small group experience consists of classes for instruction, workshops for creative expression, and evening programs, which support a healthy group dynamic. We encourage participants to take risks and push themselves to explore new aspects to the process of writing. Honesty, compassion, and humor are qualities valued by retreat organizers and participants. The development of a nurturing yet challenging creative environment is a central goal.
Morning and afternoon sessions are organized around generative activities and workshops of poems and songs in progress. There is also time for informal sharing, exploring, and meeting with other conferencees on the island. Through immersion in structured and unstructured activities, participants often embark upon new creative directions and form new associations with others outside of their daily walk in life. As such, the retreat fosters diversity and celebrates new beginnings and new horizons.
Typically, we allow plenty of time for instruction, independent creative time, social events, downtime for recreational activities like boating and swimming, and meals.
Click here for SAMPLE RETREAT AGENDA from 2024.
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ACCOMMODATIONS
Awaken every morning to the song of seagulls and a fresh Atlantic breeze and retire every evening to a cozy oasis. Every room comes with an ocean view and guaranteed stunning sunrises or sunsets. At registration, choose from a either a single or double private room with private bath or a shared room with shared bath. All rooms are located in historic out buildings scattered throughout the island. All linens and towels will be provided. Please bring your personal toiletries and hairdryers. The allure of Star Island is that it is super remote. No cell service here - hallelujiah!MEALS & DINING
All meals are served in the island's main communal dining room before our scheduled sessions.
There is a special emphasis on sourcing local ingredients from nearby farms to support the local economy and to lower our carbon footprint. In addition, all meals are catered with vegetarian and vegan options to make sure everyone's tastes are accommodated.
There is also a snack bar open in the afternoons and a food truck by the docks.2025 PROGRAM FEES & REGISTRATION
We enroll on a first-come-first-served basis. We also limit enrollment and seek a balance between songwriters and poets (of any level of skill and experience) to preserve the quality of the retreat for participants. Our conference enrollment tends to fill up fast.PROGRAM FEE: $120 / person
ROOM & BOARD:
Standard Shared: $575 | Standard Single: $780
Motel Shared: $695 | Motel Single: $1,000
Rates are per person for the full length of the conference.
Registration will remain open until our maximum enrollment of 24 is reached. We strive for a balance of 12 poetry-focused and 12 songwriting-focused participants. Once our registration is closed, you are welcome to email Ellen Taylor if you wish to be on a waiting list for potential openings due to cancellation.
FINANCIAL AID from the Star Island organization may be available. Retreat attendees have made good use of financial aid in previous years. Full details are listed on the Star Island website.TRAVEL INFO & DIRECTIONS
International Visitors: Fly into Boston Logan International Airport, take a 1-hour bus ($26.00) to Portsmouth, NH. Depending on when you arrive, (the FREE ferry leaves for Star Island at 2:20pm on Friday, September 5th) take a taxi/Uber ($10.00) from the Portsmouth bus depot to your hotel or to the ferry landing and then catch the FREE ferry!
If you're staying overnight in Portsmouth, NH on September 4th in order to catch the ferry the next day September 5th, or after the retreat on the eve of September 8th, the city has plenty of hotels, restaurants and activities to offer! Many of the hotels are within walking distance of the ferry landing, which should save you a taxi fare! See the official travel guide!The FREE Ferry departs Portsmouth for Star Island on September 5th at 2:20pm and departs on September 8th at 11:45am, arriving at 1:15pm to Portsmouth, NH.
Local Visitors: Catch the FREE ferry from Isle of Shoals Steamship Company at 2:20pm on September 8th. Park at the ferry landing for $5.00.
Regional Visitors: Drive to Isle of Shoals Steamship Company. Since the ferry leaves at 2:20pm on September 8th, you can also stay the night before in Portsmouth, park at the ferry landing for $5.00 and then catch the FREE ferry! (Alternatively, catch the bus to Portsmouth, NH and take a taxi/Uber ($10.00) to the ferry landing).