Arissa Rench
Literature
- Describe your experience at the residency.
- It was a new and precious experience to have several days to myself devoted to writing. Mornings were begun with rejuvenating in the sauna followed by several hours writing until the mid-afternoon. Then long walks on the beach or the trails in nearby state parks. One thing I really saw was how the writing took place not just in the sitting and typing, but throughout my time there - through walking, being in nature, dreaming. So many times I would come to a roadblock in my piece and not know which way to go. Then later, on the beach looking up at an eagle soaring in the sky an idea or direction would pop into my head. In terms of progress, I came with a rough draft and came away with what will soon be a finished piece. Plan to hire an editor before I submit it.
- Tell us about the work you made — title and description.
- Working title is "Three Birds", a personal essay currently of about 4,000 words. It's about the summer three years ago I had a miscarriage. The story is framed by the birds I encountered during that time as well as two extraordinary events that bookended the experience. It's also a musing on motherhood and the interconnectedness of nature, of all things.
- Did you leave a token behind, or are you planning to ship one?
- No