Dickinson House was an intimate residency center I conceived and made real, with the support of my ex-partner, between 2014 and 2017. I used a personal loan to finance the initial costs. We rented our space from my ex-partner’s family at a below-market-rate rent and I bought nearly everything for the space second-hand. Together with friends we repainted rooms, made repairs, and laid the gardens. These were the material conditions that allowed me to make Dickinson House a reality.

The remit of Dickinson House was to provide time and space for structurally disadvantaged artists and writers in beautiful, calm surroundings and with top-of-the-line provisions. My vision and labor encompassed all aspects of day-to-day and larger-picture life, from interior design and decoration; to meal-planning, shopping, and cooking; to garden design, planting, upkeep, and harvest; to communication and marketing; and to daily care for residents. Over the three seasons at Dickinson House I was privileged to make space for nearly 60 writers and artists, who stayed in single-occupancy rooms for two to four weeks each. I remain invested in making spaces for writers and artists, and in making those spaces beautiful and comfortable and just.