Storme Arden reflects on her Hideout residency

Nova Scotia-based writer and artist Storme Arden joined us at The Hideout this past spring to work on a memoir detailing a decade of health challenges. We caught up with Storme recently to ask about her residency experience and to see if Storme had advice for other writers, creatives, and wellness practitioners thinking about applying for a Hideout residency.

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Tell us a bit about the project you worked on during your week at The Hideout.

My project is essentially a memoir covering almost a decade of one illness morphing into another increasing in severity along the way. Celiac disease became multiple myeloma which required a stem cell or bone marrow transplant; it wipes out one’s immune system completely. This vulnerable state led to contracting a deadly virus: Guillain Barré Syndrome. The latter put me in the ICU intubated, hallucinating and completely paralyzed except for my eyes. The Covid-19 virus arrived within months of getting out of the hospital putting an end to maintenance chemotherapy. We turned our world further upside-down by upping stakes in 2020 and moving from St. Martins NB to Windsor NS not realizing we were leaving behind a community for isolation. PTSD hit at that point.

Needing to make sense of all of this and to extract something beneficial and creative from these experiences, I began writing. I applied what I knew from my experience as a visual artist and a lifelong love of reading to my new found form of expression. Along the way, I’ve learned what this sometimes life-threatening journey has really been about. I am finally nearing the end of a long process. The residency arrived at the end of a five-month intensive mentorship. I didn’t realize how much of a rest I needed until I arrived in the peace and quiet of the Hideout.

What did you enjoy most about your residency week at The Hideout?

I enjoyed the quiet most of all. We live on a busy highway in Nova Scotia surrounded by neighbours. The darkness was the second thing I greatly appreciated. I don’t get to see the stars and moon enough where we are despite not being in a city or town. I have to admit my third favourite aspect of the Hideout was the rich library of books. I read three adult books and at least three children’s books. I found a book very relevant to themes in my manuscript on the last morning there and Josh & Trevor were kind enough to let me borrow it and mail it back.

Why are residencies and retreats so vital for writers and creatives?

Creativity requires intense focus, concentration and persistence. Breaks are restorative especially in an environment outside of your regular life and home where there are always things that need one’s attention and labour. It’s helpful to have a change of scenery, stimulating to see new things and places and restful to get away from my house-to-do list. One can only draw from the well so long before it needs refilling.

Any tips for folks thinking about applying for a residency?

I had expectations about how much work I would accomplish during the residency. Josh and Trevor individually reassured me they didn’t have those expectations of me and that a rest can be as useful as pages written. Upon arriving home, new connections and ideas surfaced which were made possible by the time spent at the Hideout and the input from that experience. Stay open to the process. Listen for the nudges and hints. Enjoy what is offered and what is right in front of you.

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Storme Arden is a visual artist and writer working on a memoir entitled Stormy Weather: Getting Happy the Hard Way. She chronicles the ups and downs of living with refractory celiac disease, multiple myeloma and severe osteoporosis. Cancer treatment, including a stem cell transplant, landed her in the ICU. She woke fully paralyzed, hallucinating, intubated and on life support due to the rare virus, Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Needing a serious change of scenery, she and her partner left the cozy fishing village of St. Martins, NB in 2020 at the height of the pandemic to return to NS where they’d met as art students 30 years before. Despite suffering from PTSD, Arden found facing her mortality had resolved her lifelong struggle with depression.

Montreal writer Christopher DiRaddo named inaugural Hideout writer-in-residence

Credit: Marlon Kuhnreich.

Montreal-based novelist Christopher DiRaddo has been named the inaugural writer-in-residence at The Hideout in Prince Edward Island. Now in its fifth year, the Hideout Residency program welcomes writers, artists, and self-care practitioners from across Canada and internationally to PEI’s south shore each spring and fall. A new writer-in-residence component of the program is being launched to mark the fifth year anniversary of the Hideout residencies, with the goal of inviting prominent Canadian writers to visit the Island each year to engage in new work.

Christopher DiRaddo is the author of the novels The Family Way (2021), shortlisted for the F.G Bressani Literary Prize, and The Geography of Pluto (2014). His essays and short stories have appeared in First Person Queer: Who We Are (So Far), Here & Now: An Anthology of Queer Italian-Canadian Writing and The Globe and Mail. He has also written for several publications, including Elle Canada, Xtra magazine and enRoute magazine, for which he won a National Magazine Award. In 2014, he created the Violet Hour Reading Series & Book Club, which has provided a platform for more than 200 LGBTQ writers in Canada. He lives in Montreal.

“We’re so thrilled to welcome a writer of Christopher’s calibre as our first official Hideout writer-in-residence,” says Trevor Corkum, co-owner of The Hideout. “In addition to being a talented and highly-respected novelist, Christopher has been a vital force in Canadian literature and a powerful champion for sharing LGBTQ stories.”

DiRaddo will spend a week at The Hideout next fall, working on a new novel and connecting with local writers.

“I’m thrilled to be The Hideout’s first writer-in-residence,” says DiRaddo. “I have long wanted to come to PEI and experience the creative haven that Trevor and Joshua have created for artists. To have dedicated and uninterrupted time to work on my next novel in such a serene and stimulating environment is a huge gift and one I do not take for granted. I’m also looking forward to learning more about the community of artists living on the Island. My writing is heavily inspired by place, and I’m excited about the ways that The Hideout, and PEI, will make its way into my future work.”

About The Hideout

Created by writer Trevor Corkum and psychotherapist Joshua Lewis, The Hideout offers retreat and vacation space to writers, creative folk, and visitors from across Canada and around the world. The Hideout is located on the scenic South Shore of PEI, a few minutes outside the village of Victoria-by-the-Sea. The Hideout Residency program was founded in 2020.

Looking back: Hideout resident Robin Sutherland polishes a trio of short stories

To celebrate the fifth year anniversary of The Hideout residency program, we caught up with a number of previous Hideout residents to learn more about their writing projects and their advice for those considering a residency at The Hideout.

Writer Robin Sutherland joined as at The Hideout in 2021 (the height of the pandemic!) to work on a linked collection of short stories.

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Tell us a bit about the project you worked on during your week at The Hideout.

I was at The Hideout in the spring of 2021 to work on a collection of short stories that are based on my experiences as a lifeguard in the Toronto suburbs in the late 1980s and early 90s. More specifically, I wanted to develop three key stories: two of them start and end the collection, so I knew they would need to do a lot of heavy lifting in terms of introducing readers to my aquatic world and the main characters, and in establishing the atmosphere and central themes. The third story occurs about mid-way through the collection, so I envisioned the trio serving as a sort of spine for the whole collection.

What did you enjoy most about your residency week?

I'm all about a good daily routine to help keep me (and my writing) humming along. But too much of this good thing can bog me down, since routine involves same-old spaces and same-old time commitments. Retreats shake all of this up by providing you with a new space in which to work, and by disconnecting you from all of your regular commitments. It's like pressing a refresh button on your writing life. In my case, I was also at The Hideout a year into the pandemic, so getting out of my house was in itself a much-welcomed change.

Why are residencies and retreats so vital for writers?

It can be difficult to explain the job of writer to people who are not writers themselves, and for this reason, it can be equally as difficult to safeguard and privilege the task of writing. Residencies and retreats are hosted by people who 'get' that job, so in addition to gaining the space and time I mentioned above, you also gain a nice sense of validation or legitimacy as a writer.

Any tips for folks thinking about applying for a residency?

After my residency, I returned home—exuberant—because I accomplished what I set out to do: I had written a brand-new draft of the first story and had also fleshed out ideas for the concluding and mid-point stories. If I did not finish the whole collection during the retreat (I was in for another two years of hard work), I had made essential progress. My literary beast now had a sturdy backbone, and for the first time, I could also see the overall narrative arc of the collection. So my advice to anyone considering a retreat? Think small. Think specific. You want to come away from a retreat feeling like you are one step closer to where you want to be. I also advise writers to choose a place that offers them a chance to get away from their computers and recharge their bodies and minds. Thanks to the beautiful property surrounding The Hideout, and the complimentary yoga equipment, I was able to do just that on my breaks.

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Robin Sutherland is a writer and educator who now lives on Prince Edward Island. She writes short fiction and memoir, as well as Christmas feature scripts through Sea Stone Pictures, a company she co-founded with two other writers. Her short fiction has appeared in SPLASH!, The Broken City, lichen, Room of One’s Own, and Zygote.

Looking back: Hideout resident Dr. Robert Mizzi re-works a key academic idea

To celebrate the fifth year anniversary of The Hideout residency program, we caught up with a number of previous Hideout residents to learn more about their writing projects and their advice for those considering a residency at The Hideout.

2022 Hideout Resident and CANADA RESEARCH CHAIR Dr. ROBERT MIZZI

Dr. Robert Mizzi, Canada Research Chair in Queer, Community, and Diversity Education at the University of Manitoba, joined us at The Hideout in 2022 to work on an academic paper.

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Tell us a bit about the project you worked on during your week at The Hideout.

 I was invited to write an academic paper that revisits my concept of “heteroprofessionalism,” published in 2013 in an academic journal. Now that the concept has reached its 10th anniversary, while at the Hideout, I explored how scholars and practitioners have taken up the concept over time and what I would update in light of neoliberalism. I am pleased to share that the paper will be published shortly!

What did you enjoy most about your residency week?

 I thoroughly enjoyed the daily balance of walking, thinking, cooking, writing, and socializing that shaped my residency week. This balance meant I could write clearly, thoughtfully, and passionately. I ended the week feeling uplifted and rejuvenated, ready to tackle life again.

Why are residencies and retreats so vital for writers?

Residencies and retreats are a form of professional development. They provide spaces for us to connect with other writers, learn their approaches, self-direct our learning, and take risks in our writing. We need these creative and calm spaces to flourish as writers.

Any tips for folks thinking about applying for a residency?

Do not shy away from proposing edgy and creative ideas in your project. The Residency provides a safe and refreshing space to explore new writing landscapes.

Dr. Robert Mizzi is the Canada Research Chair in Queer, Community and Diversity Education and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba. His most recent book is Queer Studies and Education: An International Reader (Oxford University Press, 2023). Dr. Mizzi is a member of the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame and the Royal Society of Canada.

Looking back: Hideout resident Laura MacGregor writes about The Island Walk

To celebrate the fifth year anniversary of The Hideout residency program, we caught up with a number of previous Hideout residents to learn more about their writing projects and their advice for those considering a residency at The Hideout.

Hideout resident Laura MacGregor on the shoreline of Prince Edward Island.

Laura MacGregor joined us at The Hideout in 2023 to work on a non-fiction account of her walking journey around Prince Edward Island through The Island Walk.

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Tell us a bit about the project you worked on during your week at The Hideout.

In June 2022 I drove from Ontario Prince Edward Island to complete The Island Walk, a month-long, 700km trek. During my time at The Hideout, my writing focused on the first draft of a memoir sharing my story of walking around the Island. Literally.

What did you enjoy most about your residency week?

My residency week at The Hideout offered a rare opportunity not only to write for uninterrupted stretches of time, but to do so in the environment where my story takes place. One day while at The Hideout I was struggling with a passage about walking along the Northern Cape. While poring over photos of my hike from the previous year, it occurred to me that I could drive an hour and be at the Northern Cape. I packed a lunch and spent the afternoon walking and writing at the beach. 

Why are residencies and retreats so vital for writers?

Life is busy and writing requires not only time, but for me, emotional separation from the clutter and noise of responsibilities and busy-ness.  To be offered a week where my only activities were journaling, writing, reading, and walking was a rare gift.

Any tips for folks thinking about applying for a residency?

 I found it helpful to arrive to my residency with realistic writing goals. Rather than planning to simply “write,” my week at The Hideout focused on penning scenes that centred around specific Island locations. But more than anything, I would encourage writers-in-residence to lean into the luxury of an idyllic week of writing amid a peaceful landscape ensconced in a cozy cottage.  Really, does it get any better?

Laura MacGregor is a writer, researcher, ethicist, hiker, and knitter. She holds a PhD in Human Relations, an MA in Christian Studies, as well as a master’s and undergraduate degree in the health sciences.  Emerging from personal experience, her work focuses on the spiritual journeys of parents raising profoundly disabled children.

 
A lapsed academic, Laura volunteers with The Island Walk (PEI), the Grand Valley Trails Association (ON), and the Canadian Non-Fiction Collective.  She spends most mornings wrestling with a manuscript telling the story of walking around PEI – literally – as a way to process her son’s death.

Debbie Langston named 2022 Hideout residency scholar

PEI writer Debbie Langston has been named this year’s Hideout residency scholarship winner. The scholarship allowed Langston to attend a one-week self-directed June writing residency at The Hideout.

We created the Hideout residencies as a low-cost opportunity for writers, wellness practitioners, and other artists to remove themselves from responsibilities and dedicate themselves fully to their creative and personal practice. Debbie’s project proposal and application were extremely compelling. We’re so glad to have welcomed her to The Hideout this past June to work on her YA novel, Dear Lisa.

Residencies are available in the spring and fall each year. The scholarship covers the full cost of a one-week stay at The Hideout.

“Two years ago I began working on a young adult fiction novel Dear Lisa but after a couple of chapters, the book fell to the wayside as life obligations got in the way,” says Langston. “Winning the residency at The Hideout provided me with the ideal opportunity to reacquaint myself with the story and characters. Trevor and Joshua ensured that I had everything I needed to allow me to immerse myself in the creative process. The beautiful surroundings and solitude provided the perfect balance of reconnecting with nature and introspection. I would highly recommend The Hideout to anyone in need of a retreat and some time to relax and unwind.”

Debbie Langston is a British-born woman of Indian, South American, and Nigerian heritage. She is a wife, mother, part-time student, and aspiring author. In 2004, Debbie immigrated to PEI with her young family. She works for the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning as the Diversity Consultant. Debbie is an award-winning writer, winning the first PEI Writers Guild Scott Parsons Award for Black writers. She featured as the guest speaker for PEI's inaugural Emancipation Day celebration in 2021. Debbie volunteers on several boards, is a Justice of the Peace, recently began writing a column for The Guardian, and co-hosts the CBC Book Panel. In her spare time, Debbie enjoys cooking, gardening, painting, and spending time with her family, friends, and numerous pets.

To learn more about the Hideout residency program, visit the residency website.

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About The Hideout Residency Program

Located on PEI’s South Shore, The Hideout is a vacation and retreat property co-founded by author Trevor Corkum and therapist Joshua Lewis. The Hideout residency program provides low-cost opportunities for writers, artists, and practitioners from across Canada and the world to spend a full week focused on their practice. Each year, up to two full scholarships are awarded. Hideout scholars join a line-up of invited artists and a limited number of artists and practitioners chosen through a general application process.

Meet Vanessa Bradley, 2021 Hideout residency scholar

Vanessa Bradley is one of two full scholarship winners to our 2021 Hideout residency program. Vanessa joined us at The Hideout in June. We had the chance to speak to Vanessa more about her writing, why residencies are so important, and her time at the Hideout.

Vanessa R. Bradley (she/her) loves reading and writing, but specifically fantasy novels and poetry. She is currently working on a new novel about magic and cemeteries that takes place on Prince Edward Island, as well as a collection of poetry about the meaning of flowers. She and her wife moved from South Carolina to PEI mid-pandemic and have both thoroughly fallen in love with this incredible Island. She has been published with Tilted House, Blank Spaces Magazine, and On Loan from the Cosmos. You can find her on Instagram @v.r.bradley and on Twitter @vanessarbradley.

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Tell us more about your own interests and preoccupations as a writer. And how does writing fit into the rest of your life?

I write poetry and fiction, and the fiction that I write tends toward fantasy. As a writer, my interests are always growing and changing. I have always felt that you can see the change in my style in my poetry, and the growth in my writing and worldbuilding in my novels. Writing has always been a really central aspect of my life, and something I've fought to fit in, even when things are "too busy to write." Even when I'm in a writing slump, I still describe myself as a writer.

Why are residencies and retreats important for writers?

Residencies and retreats are essential for writers (and not everyone has the privilege to have them!). They offer an opportunity to dig deeper into writing, to take time that we do not normally get in the day-to-day grind, and to learn more about themselves and about their process. Digging out time during a busy day to write can often feel like a waste of time (when you could be doing the dishes that have been sitting for weeks!), and I found that my writing residency really reminded me of the importance of writing for myself and for my mental health.

Can you share more about the project you worked on during your time at the Hideout?

I worked on a novel that I was only about three chapters into when I arrived at the Hideout. I have had the idea for a story like this for years, but it didn't come into fruition until I moved to PEI, and then the pieces began to fall into place. It is a fantasy novel that takes place on the island, where the main character has started a new life as she has left her old, oppressive position working with the organization that oversees magical use in the United States. While she's on the island, her old life catches up with her. The story has cemeteries and bone magic and it focuses on the power of community.

What were the highlights of your time at The Hideout?

The time that I had to consider my novel and my characters was such a highlight. I had been a bit stuck with the plot, and by day three I realized I had to give it a huge overhaul. I took the time to dig into what I wanted to do, what I wanted my themes to be, and what I felt the story was missing. Now that I have those (rearranged) bones of the plot, I feel so much more confident in my writing in my day-to-day. I also had the time to edit what I already had to fit into the new route I wanted my novel to take, and I was able to continue writing with a renewed sense of excitement. Other highlights included: sitting on the porch and journaling to start my day, the gorgeous sunsets, the hospitality of Trevor and Joshua, and the fact that I could nap whenever I wanted and write late into the night.

Any tips for other writers considering their first residency experience?

Two tips: 1) Don't judge yourself and 2) trust in the process. It's so easy to feel like you are not "doing enough," but you are doing just what you need. Most mornings, I didn't write, but rather I stared out into the fields and drank several cups of tea. That thinking time is also such an important part of the process, which doesn't always involve typing away for hours on end. Let the process come to you, if that's your thing, and it will reveal itself.