Hypatia-in-the-Woods

10/26/2026

Sally Bays — Workshop: Writing Relationships

When: Tuesday, October 27, 2026, 3:30 – 5:30 pm

Where: Shelton Timberland Library, 710 W. Alder, Shelton, WA 98584

Basy, an upper peninsula author and educator, will offer a workshop called Writing Relationships. Struggling to break out of cliches and into authentic relationships…on paper? Writing Relationships is a workshop that will examine what makes a compelling on-page relationship and how we can move beyond tropes (or embrace them!

Sally rates her workshop at PG-13 with some discussions of sex—though romantic relationships are only part of the discussion. As with all of her workshops, she reminds participants to bring their favorite writing medium for the exercises.

A dabbler in all things creative, the Sequim resident is currently splitting her time between writing a new novel and making Christmas presents on her lathe. You can read her weekly blog posts at www.mamasquatchthewriter.com.

08/19/2026

Linda Berkley: Japanese Resist Dye Painting

When: Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Where: Shelton Timberland Library, 710 W. Alder, Shelton, WA 98584

Linda Berkley will present a slideshow of her artwork. She will explain the process of the Japanese resist dye painting techniques Rozome and Katazome, which she has used in her recent paintings on silk.

Berkley is a visual artist residing in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and cat. She works in her studio and in nature (www.lindaberkley.com) in celebration of creative process and the power of observation.

In addition to drawing and traditional Western art techniques, Linda works with Japanese resist dye painting techniques and natural pigments, exploring a brilliance of color relationships, a balance of design untethered by western perspective, and line quality. She “follows her observations as they translate into visual pattern, symbol, and expression: a correspondence between her inner and outer world.”

Linda’s education includes a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from the Museum School of Fine Arts, Boston, and an MFA from the University of Arizona. She earned a Scientific Illustration certificate from University of Washington. She is retired from academic life after 27 years teaching as a college art professor in Portland and Everett.

In addition her Hypatia-in-the-Woods residency, she has attended artist residencies in Iceland, Japan, France, Vermont Studio School and Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Colorado.

05/03/2026

Amie Thurber — “Knotted and Bound: Irving Reichert, Anti-Zionism, and the Contested Road to Jewish Safety

When: Friday, May 15, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Where: Shelton Timberland Library, 710 W. Alder, Shelton, WA 98584

Dr. Amie Thurber will discuss a critical biography in-progress on Rabbi Irving F. Reichert, an ambitious, influential and controversial civic leader. Reichert served as Senior Rabbi of San Francisco’s Temple Emanu-El from 1930-1947, and his numerous civic roles brought him to Jewish communities throughout the West Coast. Rabbi Reichert’s stances on a variety of social justice issues— opposing Japanese internment, supporting the rights of striking Mexican migrant workers, and resisting the spread of Zionism through his work with the American Council on Judaism (ACJ) —were criticized during his life, leading to the loss of his pulpit and prominence.

Drawing from a wide array of archival and secondary sources, this presentation traces Reichert’s development as a civic leader; his contributions to—and ultimate departure from—the ACJ; and the qualities of character that propelled his successes and exacerbated his failings.

Dr. Amie Thurber is an Associate Professor in the Portland State University School of Social Work. Her research explores how communities, social movements, and policy makers respond to contested spaces: settings marked by social divisions, uneven distributions of power, and by political marginalization and erasure.

04/29/2026

Cynthia Giovagnoli — “Find Your Story’s Engine” writing workshop

When: Thursday, April 30, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Where: Shelton Timberland Library, 710 W. Alder, Shelton, WA 98584

Find Your Story’s Engine is a 60-minute workshop that will help writers make sure that as they develop their stories, they not only create a compelling set of events and twists for their readers to follow, but also connect those readers to why it all matters.

We’ll discuss how to find the engine of your story and how to organize what you discover into a tool that will keep your story on track and resonating with your readers without stifling your creative discovery as the writing unfolds.

While this workshop is designed with long-form fiction in mind, it’s equally useful for those writing short fiction and memoir.

Cindy Giovagnoli is a lawyer-turned-writer and Author Accelerator-certified book coach from Olympia. When she’s not writing or helping other writers finish their books, she spends as much time as possible in the mountains of western Washington with her husband and two rescue dogs. Find her at mulberryandrange.com.

03/26/2026

2026

Jennifer Astion — Memory Collage Workshop

When: Friday, March 27, 2026, 4:00 pm

Where: Shelton Timberland Library, 710 W. Alder, Shelton, WA 98584

Astion, a cartoon artist and writer, will conduct a workshop on memory and art. Jennifer asks participants to explore a memory, and, with prompts, transform the memory into a pencil or ink sketch collage. Materials will be provided. The workshop is appropriate for teens and adults.

Participants are invited to bring old magazines, wrapping paper, and other types of paper to share with the group. Some might also want to bring more personal items on paper for their own collage.

Astion is from Seattle, where she is a yoga instructor. Long a fan of cartoons and comics, she began taking classes in comic illustration when she noted how much more her youngsters related to graphic novels than non-illustrated literature. She says graphic memoirs have shown her the capacity the medium has for self-discovery and healing as well as story-telling. She wrote about her love for walking near the beach In a comic called “Seattle Selkie,” featured in the zine “Hey, Neighbor,” which includes art and writing from northeast Seattle artists.

Astion also created a comic about picking wild blackberries called “The Very Forgiving Crumble.” She publishes under the name JenAster.

03/01/2026

Kathleen Woods -- Writing Workshop

Friday, March 6, 2026, 4:00 pm
St. David of Wales Episcopal Church, 324 W. Cedar St., Shelton, WA 98584

Woods will lead a workshop for writers, poets, and writers-to-be, in the church library. Attendees please use the door in the corner of the building by the parking lot. Space is limited: please preregister with Carolyn Maddux. [email protected]

Inspiration Through Emulation

In this workshop, you’ll break open a favorite short piece or passage to discover how and why it works, mapping the patterns and rhythm of effective craft. Then, in a supportive group of other writers, you’ll weave your own ideas through that outline, learning from a writing style by actively trying it on. We’ll also discuss ways to apply this process to other forms of art, like music and painting. Discover how mimicry can lead you to something completely new!

Please bring a short excerpt by another poet/writer–something you love and/or admire! We will be using these pieces as part of the workshop.

Kathleen Woods is the author of the novel White Wedding. She earned an M.F.A in Creative Writing from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she served as Managing Editor for Timber Journal. She is an alum of SF Writers Grotto Fellowship, the Tin House Summer Writers Conference, and the Wellstone Center Residency. Her work has been featured in Electric Literature, Literary Hub, Pacifica Literary Review, Western Humanities Review, The Racket, and others. She lives, writes, and reads in the San Francisco Bay Area.

11/15/2025

Resident Alexis Clements' film presentation and reading at Marmo Gallery and Caffè on Friday, November 14.

09/17/2025

07/06/2025

July 15, 2025, 4:00 pm, Shelton Timberland Library: poetry workshop.

07/03/2025

Jennifer MacKenzie -- Poetry Writing Workshop
July 15, 2025, 4:00 pm
Shelton Timberland Library