OUR OCTOBER POD

The 2020 October Colony is behind us.

But not really.

In fact, these writers will now forever be in front of us as we watch the stories they tell and where their careers go. With each program we get to know another group of talented creatives but this group holds a special place in our hearts because we went through the necessary COVID precautions with them. For the COVID curious, writers were asked to test before traveling to Nantucket, then we all wore masks and social distanced for several days at the farmhouse before testing again so we could exist as a safe pod. (Word nerds should appreciate that we were a ‘pod’ of writers on an island known for whaling.) For the most part, writers were able to do what we normally do — write, talk, read, eat, hike, bike, and bond. It was a productive and restorative month by all accounts.

We moved the majority of the mentor experience online and were fortunate to have extraordinary people contribute their time and guidance virtually — So Yong Kim, Antonio Campos, Tyger Williams, Sarah Adina Smith, Bryan Unkeless, and Braden Aftergood. The wonderfully kind and thorough Jon Silk served as our in person mentor. He stayed on the island for two weeks and after necessary testing and safety protocol was able to join the pod for meals, notes sessions, beach outings, and walks. Jon read all of our writers, gave extensive notes and brought invaluable wisdom to the experience. 

Like our writers, we had to be stubborn and thick skinned to do our work this year. We were determined to provide a safe, nurturing, inspiring place for these talented writers despite the obstacles COVID presented. We are so grateful to have discovered an exceptional cohort for this exceptional year, and we are delighted to welcome them to our community.