Salt Lines Poetry Retreat

July 10-12, 2026

Born of her belief that gathering with other poets isn't just enjoyable—it's essential—Holly Wren Spaulding hosts this mid-year retreat in her writing studio and flower garden on the coast of Maine.

Together, we'll remember why we write and why we need each other. We'll rediscover how it feels to listen without hurrying, write what feels true, and speak with the courage of our convictions.

We'll enjoy generous meals around a beautifully laid table. We'll walk the shoreline where fresh water meets salt water. We'll write our salt lines.

Creativity as necessity.

Community as tonic. Poetry is what brings us together.

We'll write, inspired by the liminal space where salt water meets fresh
We'll share our work in a supportive circle of Poetry Forge friends
We'll engage in life-sustaining conversations about our work in progress, and the realities that surround our commitments to a creative life
We'll find inspiration in the coastal landscape, fresh air, dark night skies, and plant poetics
We'll listen, and speak, and laugh together
We'll curate our best lines—and look forward to seeing them transformed into letterpress poetry postcards by a skilled artisan

Proposed Schedule

The vision for this gathering is spacious, generous, and calm. We will savor and go slow. We will enjoy doing what we love to do. We will be together: talking, laughing, writing, and considering what it means to be poets at this time in human history. Time will bend and the days will be ours.

Thursday, July 9

Those who arrive the day before the retreat will be encouraged to meet independently for an off-site activity, coordinated by Holly. This is optional.

Friday, July 10

Arrive between 2 and 4 pm. Explore the poetry library and flower garden and allow Holly to help you create a bouquet for your nightstand. Workshop begins at 4 pm with a special dinner under the sailcloth tent to follow.

Saturday, July 11

Arrive between 9 and 10 am. Write on your own in the studio or find a sweet spot near the dahlias. Gather at 10:30 for workshop, followed by lunch, and an optional outing to a nearby park with access to a beautiful beach, walking trails, and shade. Happy hour begins at 6, hosted by Matt, with a chef-prepared dinner to follow. Linger for fireflies or a backyard campfire (weather permitting) or return to your accommodations for quiet time.

Sunday, July 12

Arrive between 9 and 10 am. Write on your own in the studio, under the apple tree, or on the warm stone wall. Gather at 10:30 for a workshop on how to curate our own work for publication or sharing in other forms, followed by lunch, and presentations of work in progress. Depart around 2 pm.

This outline is meant to give you a sense of the flow of the days, including opportunities for you to do your own thing, while also preserving some of the magic and mystery of this special gathering. Changes are bound to be made as we get closer to our retreat dates.

Practical details, including lodging suggestions, location, and how to get here may be found in this document.

You Belong Here

This retreat is open to members of the Casual Union of Working Poets

retreat registration will open in december 2025

"It served ME well! Please DO consider doing this again. It was really a wonderful gathering, and I loved the built-in spaciousness as well as the together time."

—Lori L., Poetry Forge Mini-Residency 2024

“It is a gift to be with people in community, while at the same time, being alone. . . . I felt very held and grounded and connected to something bigger than all of us.”

—Ashley M., Blue Shore Writers Retreat, 2024

"It’s hard to express how much I loved being at this residency. Thank you for being the person to dream it up and put it on."

—Charlotte W., Poetry Forge Mini-Residency, 2024

Salt Lines Poetry Retreat

A poetry retreat with Holly Wren Spaulding in southern Maine.

Salt Lines Poetry Retreat

July 10-12, 2026

Born of her belief that gathering with other poets isn't just enjoyable—it's essential—Holly Wren Spaulding hosts this mid-year retreat in her writing studio and flower garden on the coast of Maine.

Together, we'll remember why we write and why we need each other. We'll rediscover how it feels to listen without hurrying, write what feels true, and speak with the courage of our convictions.

We'll enjoy generous meals around a beautifully laid table. We'll walk the shoreline where fresh water meets salt water. We'll write our salt lines.

Creativity as necessity.

Community as tonic. Poetry is what brings us together.

We'll write, inspired by the liminal space where salt water meets fresh

We'll share our work in a supportive circle of Poetry Forge friends

We'll engage in life-sustaining conversations about our work in progress, and the realities that surround our commitments to a creative life

We'll find inspiration in the coastal landscape, fresh air, dark night skies, and plant poetics

We'll listen, and speak, and laugh together

We'll curate our best lines—and look forward to seeing them transformed into letterpress poetry postcards by a skilled artisan

Proposed Schedule

Thursday, July 9

Those who arrive the day before the retreat will be encouraged to meet independently for an off-site activity, coordinated by Holly. This is optional.

Friday, July 10

Arrive between 2 and 4 pm. Explore the poetry library and flower garden and allow Holly to help you create a bouquet for your nightstand. Workshop begins at 4 pm with a special dinner under the sailcloth tent to follow.

Saturday, July 11

Sunday, July 12

Arrive between 9 and 10 am. Write on your own in the studio, under the apple tree, or on the warm stone wall. Gather at 10:30 for a workshop on how to curate our own work for publication or sharing in other forms, followed by lunch, and presentations of work in progress. Depart around 2 pm.

This outline is meant to give you a sense of the flow of the days, including opportunities for you to do your own thing, while also preserving some of the magic and mystery of this special gathering. Changes are bound to be made as we get closer to our retreat dates.

Practical details, including lodging suggestions, location, and how to get here may be found in this document.

You Belong Here

This retreat is open to members of the Casual Union of Working Poets

"It served ME well! Please DO consider doing this again. It was really a wonderful gathering, and I loved the built-in spaciousness as well as the together time."

“It is a gift to be with people in community, while at the same time, being alone. . . . I felt very held and grounded and connected to something bigger than all of us.”

"It’s hard to express how much I loved being at this residency. Thank you for being the person to dream it up and put it on."

Salt Lines Poetry Retreat

$1,400.00 USD