Good and Mad by the Sea
OCTOBER 22-25, 2026 · CAMDEN, MAINE
A writing retreat with Rebecca Traister exploring women's anger, voice, power, and the stories we tell.
Limited Capacity • Workshops • Conversation • Writing Time • Yoga • Coastal Walks • Shared Meals
A woman stands with the cross on Maiden’s Cliff in Camden, ME. May 19, 1941. Photo by Betty Foxwell.
What if anger is not something to overcome—but something to understand?
Join bestselling author and journalist Rebecca Traister for an immersive autumn writing retreat exploring the transformative, and often overlooked, power of women's anger.
Through workshops, conversation, writing exercises, and protected creative time, participants will examine how personal experience intersects with larger cultural and political forces—and how writers transform frustration, grief, outrage, hope, and joy into work that resonates beyond themselves.
Set in Camden, Maine at the height of fall, the retreat offers a rare opportunity to step away from daily obligations and spend several days immersed in writing, reflection, and community.
Retreat Experience
Each morning begins with breakfast and optional yoga overlooking the harbor. Workshops blend discussion, close reading, and generative writing designed to help participants deepen their understanding of voice, narrative, and emotional truth.
Afternoons provide protected writing time, opportunities to explore Camden, or meetings with Rebecca during office hours.
Evenings bring the group together around shared meals and conversation, creating the kind of creative community that often becomes as valuable as the formal instruction.
What’s Included
Writing workshops with Rebecca Traister
Craft talks and generative writing exercises
Open office hours and small-group conversations
Structured independent writing time
Morning yoga overlooking Camden Harbor
Three nights lodging at The Inn at Camden Place (or local commuter option)
Daily breakfasts
Catered lunch
Two catered dinners
Welcome reception
Final evening reading and celebration
Walkable downtown Camden experience
Not included: Transportation to and from Maine, one dinner on your own in Camden
Accommodations
Guests stay in the heart of downtown Camden, steps from bookstores, galleries, cafés, and the harbor. Comfortable accommodations and walkable surroundings create an ideal environment for reflection, writing, and connection.
Community Connection
We intentionally keep our retreats small.
The goal is not simply instruction, but meaningful connection: thoughtful conversation, genuine exchange of ideas, and time spent among fellow writers who care deeply about language, storytelling, and the world around them.
Expect shared meals, small-group discussions, quiet moments of reflection, and creative relationships that extend beyond the weekend.
Meet Rebecca Traister
Over the past two decades, Rebecca Traister has been among the most influential voices writing about women, politics, and power in America. She is the author of the bestselling books Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger, All the Single Ladies, Big Girls Don't Cry, and Angry Girls Will Get Us Through. A writer-at-large for New York Magazine, her work explores the intersection of gender, politics, power, and social change.
Check out her Substack here.
Retreat Hosts
Good and Mad by the Sea is produced by the Midcoast Villager and the Villager Cafe, a community gathering space in the heart of downtown Camden. Together, they host conversations, cultural events, and creative programming that bring people together around storytelling, ideas, and civic life.
Participation in this retreat helps support independent local journalism and community-centered cultural programming in Midcoast Maine.
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If you are comfortable with small planes, Cape Air has multiple flights a day from Boston to Knox County Airport in Rockland (RKD), which is 15 minutes from Camden.
Other options are Portland (PWM), about 90 minutes by car from Camden, or Bangor (BGR), slightly closer.
We are 3.5 hours from Boston (BOS) if you are looking to explore New England before or after the retreat.
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Participants are responsible for their own transportation. We are happy to help coordinate rides and carpools for anyone wishing to participate in advance. Further details will be available upon request.
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Yes, of course! We have complementary parking at the hotel.
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We’re happy to do our best to accommodate common dietary needs and food allergies. Please share any restrictions with us when you register so our team can plan accordingly.If you have a severe allergy, we encourage you to reach out to us in advance so we can discuss options.
Travel Details & FAQ
To be the first to hear about upcoming retreats, please contact retreat curator Lucia Graves lgraves@midcoastvillager.com