The Mesa Refuge

The Refuge offers two and four-week residencies to writers who need the solitude essential to creative work. Essayists, journalists, economists, naturalists, screenwriters and authors of memoirs -- all are welcome.

The Mesa Refuge invites people to think and write about the intersections between human activity -- capitalism in particular -- and the natural world we are obliged to preserve. A Mesa Refuge residency is an opportunity to develop ideas and projects so that they may be published and transformed into practice.

Residents are offered the gift of time and space. There is a settling in, a letting go, a connecting with nature’s muse, and a finding of creative rhythm.

The Refuge hosts three residents at a time. Each enjoys a private room in a spacious shared house. A printer is available for common use; however, residents need to bring their own computers and writing supplies. A single telephone is available on a limited basis and its use is discouraged. E-mail use is similarly discouraged, but dial-up access is available for a fee.

The Mesa Refuge is located on a bluff overlooking Tomales Bay, California. Activities include hiking, kayaking, beach-combing, bicycling, bird watching and yoga, as well as gardening, tennis and ping-pong. The town of Point Reyes Station is a 10-minute walk away.