The John K. Walsh Residency Fellowship, named after
Notre Dame alum (’61) and hispanista Jack Walsh (1939 -1990), is an annual
Letras Latinas program that supports a Latino/a writer working on a first book.
Specifically, the support is a one-month residency in July at the Anderson
Center in Red Wing, MN.
The 2014 Fellow was poet Luisa Caycedo-Kimura. She agreed to take a few questions about her
experience last summer.
LL: Letras Latinas
LCK: Luisa Caycedo-Kimura
LL: You just had the unique experience of doing back-to-back artist
residencies: a one-week residency at the Ragdale Foundation in Lake Forest, IL,
and your one-month John K. Walsh residency (curated by Letras Latinas) at the
Anderson Center in Red Wing, MN. Could you share with our readers what a
residency at the Anderson Center and Ragdale have in common, how they differ?
LCK: At
Ragdale, they have t-shirts that say “time + space.” I would add the word
“peace” and say that is precisely what I found in both places. The Anderson
Center and Ragdale both strive to create an environment that is conducive to producing
creative work. In each place, I had a comfortable private room in a gorgeous
historical mansion surrounded by extensive grounds. At Ragdale, there are
manicured lawns, a sculpture garden, and acres of meadowland. The grounds at
the Anderson Center consist mostly of lovely tree studded manicured lawns, a
large sculpture garden, interesting buildings, a tree preserve, and a fitness
trail. Both places have a pantry and refrigerator full of delicious healthy
food available to the residents day and night, and a professional chef prepares
dinners Monday through Friday. There are books and journals available for
borrowing, art everywhere, and bicycles exclusively for residents’ use. Behind the
grounds of the Anderson Center, there is one of the best bike paths I have seen,
and if you have a car (or are a strong biker), the center of Red Wing and the
bluffs are not far. Ragdale is within walking distance to Lake Forest’s town
center.
Most importantly, my main
responsibility was just to be a poet. At both places, I was able to slow down
and notice the way the light hit the grounds and the architecture. While I was
at Ragdale, the cottonwood pods were releasing their seeds, and I could observe
as the wind made them dance through the air like fireflies. Twice, on walks
through the meadows, I found myself surrounded by yellow butterflies. It’s as
if I were Mauricio Babilonia in Gabriel García Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude. At The Anderson Center, I saw a
thirteen-stripe squirrel. I didn’t even know they existed! I also saw bald
eagles and on the bike trail a beaver. There was so much art and nature to
relax and inspire me.
At Ragdale, there were
thirteen of us sharing three houses. That was probably one of the main
differences between the two places. I was in the main house with five other
writers. Each of the rooms is comfortable and unique, some have private
balconies or decks, and each has a private bathroom. To make sure no one is disturbed
while working, there are rules about how much noise one can make on the
premises. At times you could almost hear the others breathe. Of course, if you are
tired of the silence, you can go outdoors or to one of the kitchens and invariably
find another resident or one of the employees. At the Anderson Center, there
were only six of us at any one time living in the huge mansion. Since only two
of us were writers and the other residents had their music or art studios away
from the house, there was no need to have rules about noise. In fact, except
for meal times or coffee breaks, the house was almost empty. Even when people
were there, because of the design of the house and the small number of
residents, I rarely heard anyone from my room or my favorite work and reading
areas throughout the house.
LL: I’m going to venture a guess that your one-month stay at the
Anderson Center allowed you to develop something of a routine, both for
writing, reading, and perhaps other activities? Could give us a sense of
how you spent your time?
LCK: Although
I don’t consider myself a terribly structured person, I believe we all have a
natural rhythm that allows us to be at our creative best. I like to write in my
journal as close to the start of my day as possible, while I have a cup of
coffee. I’m a huge advocate of early morning journaling. I’ve done it for years
and find it extremely helpful. Beyond that, my preferred work rhythm isn’t
always attainable in my everyday life. That was one of the major benefits of
being in these residencies. I was able to follow my own rhythm. At the Anderson
Center, my favorite place to journal was the upstairs sitting room. It’s a
peaceful, sunny, spacious room with a comfortable loveseat, a wingback chair,
and lots of poetry books. After journaling, I read before writing. I like to
start writing by editing drafts, unless inspiration strikes at any time prior
to that, in which case, one should never keep the muse waiting. My afternoons
were somewhat less structured, but usually involved reading and writing away
from my room and some sort of outdoor activity, such as biking, exploring the
property and its surroundings, climbing the water tower, etc., or spending time
with other residents. Tom Virgin, a print maker and five-time resident at the
Anderson Center, had copies of books he had made and encouraged me to spend
time in his studio perusing them. Other times, I would listen to Michael Tsalka
(a seven-time resident at the center) play the piano. He was always happy to
have an audience. Other times I would listen to his wife Angelica Minero
Escobar, a musicologist and vocalist, practice her singing. The only externally
imposed structure was dinner with the residents Monday through Friday. After a
leisurely dinner, I usually went back to my room for writing, reading, and
exercising. I brought a travel yoga mat that proved invaluable.
LL: The John K. Walsh Residency Fellowship is meant to assist a
Latino/a writer working on a first book. Could you share with our readers what
your first book project is, and how it’s coming along?
LCK: I’ve
been working on a manuscript that focuses on some difficult topics –– loss,
abuse, domestic violence, depression, and a general sense of not belonging. Some
poems are set in Colombia, some in the United States. I’m close to finishing,
though I believe there are still a few gaps that I need to fill to make it more
cohesive. I’m certain that I would not be this far along with my book had it
not been for the John K. Walsh Residency Fellowship.
LL: An integral part of this experience, I imagine, is being in
community with other artists. Could you say something about what that was like,
with a particular focus on your experience at the Anderson Center since you
were there for one month?
LCK: Being a
natural recluse, I have to admit I was a little apprehensive about living with
a group of strangers and having dinner with them every night. It’s not that I’m
shy or that I dislike people. I just tend to need a lot of alone time. Interestingly,
the people I met hold my fondest memories of that summer. In both places, we
bonded quickly. At the Anderson Center, of course, I had more time to get to
know the other residents, and it felt as if we were a family — in a good way.
In addition to Tom, Michael, and Angelica, whom I mentioned earlier, there was
also Lisa Weider, a young visual artist from Austria, and two fiction MFA
students from the University of Minnesota. The latter two, John Costello and
Jonathan Escoffery, split the residency. Each was there for half a month. Often,
I sat at the kitchen peninsula for conversation and coffee with Lisa or John. At
the Anderson Center, every resident is required to do a small community
service. I was asked to read at the Center’s summer arts festival, and I was
touched that everyone in my little “family” stopped what they were doing (Tom
and Lisa had open studios that same day) to attend the reading and lend their
support. On weekends, although we didn’t need to, we would cook together and
share a communal meal. Several times we even had visitors. They were writers
that Tom, Michael, and Angelica had met in past residencies. One of those former
residents was Jacob Saenz, the 2011 Letras Latinas Fellow! There is something
so inspiring and motivating in sharing time with other creative people.
One Sunday, in a bit of a
role reversal, we had our chef, Amy, her husband, and son, join us for a dinner
that we prepared. In many ways, we considered Amy to be part of our group. At
the end of the month, all of us July residents organized a “Meet the Artists”
event at the barn, where we shared our work with the public. Robert Hedin, the
director, and other members of the staff and board were there, as well as some
of the permanent residents who rent artist space at the center. I can’t say enough
about the people at both residencies. Everyone was warm and welcoming.
LL: It’s my understanding that these have been your first
experiences (at Ragdale and the Anderson Center) with artist residencies. What
advice would you give to a writer who has never done one of these residencies,
and who is thinking about applying to do one? Is there anything you might do
differently on your next residency, assuming you’d like to do another one, at
some point?
LCK: The
first thing I would tell someone considering whether or not to apply for one of
these residencies is “Go for it!” Each place seemed like a bit of paradise. For
those planning to do a residency, I would pass on two pieces of advice that I
received. The first came from my husband, an artist. He said, “The first week
may end up being a throw-away in terms of creative output. It will likely take
you a while to unwind. Accept it. Don’t put undue pressure on yourself.” The
second came from Regin Igloria, the Director of Artists-in-Residence at Ragdale.
He told us to first catch up on our sleep. This was all sound advice. By giving
myself permission to just enjoy the “free time,” I ended up having a productive,
relaxing, and joy-filled first week.
In the future, I would like
to see if I could do a residency with my husband. Prior to this summer, I
didn’t know whether that would be possible or even desirable. But, in each of
the residencies, there was a married couple. At Ragdale, the husband and wife
were Eric Moe, a composer, and Barbara Weissberger, a visual artist. At the
Anderson Center, it was Michael Tsalka and Angelica Minero Escobar. One reason
I believe it worked well was because each individual had his or her own
workspace. Aside from the possibility of doing a residency with my husband, I would
consider packing fewer books. I spent so much time deciding which books to pack,
and I barely even looked at them. Ragdale and the Anderson Center both have great
selections of books and journals available to the residents.
*
The John K. Walsh Residency Fellowship
also recognizes the indelible role mentors
play in
the lives of Latino/a writers.
To this end, we have created
The John K. Walsh Mentorship Essays,
a collaboration with the
online component
of Origins, a new
literary journal.
To learn more and read the
inaugural essay
in what will be a quarterly series,
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