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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260809T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260809T153000
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CREATED:20260716T010731Z
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UID:10452-1786280400-1786289400@mesarefuge.org
SUMMARY:Workshop - Rumi for Our Times
DESCRIPTION:Join translator and performance artist Haleh Liza Gafori for a deep dive into the poetry of Rumi. In this interactive workshop\, we’ll hear Haleh recite translations from her highly acclaimed books Gold and Water\, revealing how urgently and tenderly Rumi speaks to us in these times. Haleh will share dashes of the original Persian text\, unpack recurring words that have no one-to-one equivalent in English\, and offer an array of poems which show the range of Rumi’s concerns\, as he addresses both nightingales and war-mongers\, the open heart and the imperious ego\, exploring the alchemy of human consciousness as well as the power of silence. Through dazzling images and leaping progressions of thought\, he points us toward an ethic of love\, care\, and reverence. His poems are aesthetic masterpieces that are meant to illuminate and liberate. Rumi above all is a friend to humanity. In this workshop we’ll commune with his words on the beautiful grounds of Mesa Refuge\, and will be invited to write our own work in response to excerpts. \n$25 for registrants 30 years and younger. We are sold out of tickets for participants older than 30-years-old. Please reach out to nkansky@mesarefuge.org if you would like to be added to the waitlist. \nLimited to 12 participants. Two of these spots will be reserved for participants 30 years and younger. \nCancellation Policy: In order to receive a partial refund (a $15 admin fee is deducted from your payment)\, we require 7 days notice.  \nBe sure to check out Haleh’s event with Point Reyes Books on August 7th\, 8-10pm at the Dance Palace! \n\nHaleh Liza Gafori is a New York City-born translator\, performance artist\, writer\, and educator of Iranian descent. Her two volumes of translationsof poetry by the 13th century sage Rumi\, entitled Gold and Water\, have been incorporated in curricula of universities across the country. Haleh was a 2026 and 2024 MacDowell fellow\, and a 2023 recipient of the New York State Council on the Arts grant. She created a musical and cross-media performance based on the book and has presented her work\, via performances and lectures and workshops\, at institutions such as Lincoln Center\, Stanford University\, the Academy of American Poets\, and Sarah Lawrence College. Her work has been published by Columbia University Press\, Harvard Review\, World Literature Today\, Lit Hub\, Paris Review\, and others. She teaches in the MFA writing program at St Joseph’s University.
URL:https://mesarefuge.org/event/workshop-rumi-for-our-times/
LOCATION:Mesa Refuge\, 11 Los Reyes Dr\, Point Reyes Station\, California\, 94956\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260725T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260725T140000
DTSTAMP:20260623T165605Z
CREATED:20260528T183210Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260623T165605Z
UID:10273-1784988000-1784988000@mesarefuge.org
SUMMARY:Jeanne Carstensen and Roberto Lovato
DESCRIPTION:Mesa alums Jeanne Carstensen and Roberto Lovato discuss Jeanne’s award winning book A Greek Tragedy: One Day\, a Deadly Shipwreck\, and the Human Cost of the Refugee Crisis \nOn October 28\, 2015\, a boat meant for only a few dozen passengers capsized off the coast of the Greek island of Lesvos. Hundreds of refugees\, forced in desperation onto the overloaded boat manned by armed smugglers\, were tossed into a roiling sea. The resulting loss of life\, the largest in a single day during the biggest refugee crisis since World War II\, shocked the world. \nAfter nearly a decade of research and interviews\, investigative reporter Jeanne Carstensen has captured every detail of the dramatic twenty-four hours. This includes the recollections of the refugees’ lives before they left their homes and a full account of the courageous rescue efforts of the Greek islanders and volunteers rushing to help\, even as their government and the EU failed to act. In this remarkable narrative feat\, Carstensen brilliantly showcases the extraordinary heroism of ordinary people in extreme circumstances. \nIn a world where forced migration is on the rise\, and where standing up to protect our neighbors can come at great personal risk\, A Greek Tragedy challenges us to confront our collective humanity. This unforgettable testament of our times is “a crushing account of a senseless tragedy” (Publishers Weekly\, starred review) and a compassionate depiction of the lengths to which a person will go to save another human being. \nSilver Medal Winner in nonfiction for the 95th Annual California Book Awards  \n2026 Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the PEN/Galbraith Award for Nonfiction \n\nJeanne Carstensen is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in New York Times\, Foreign Policy\, The World\, The Nation\, Salon\, Nautilus\, and Global Post\, among other outlets. She covered the Syrian refugee crisis in Greece and Turkey with support from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and was short-listed for the Immigration Journalism Awards. Jeanne has been awarded fellowships at the Logan Nonfiction Program and National Arts Journalism Program at Columbia University. Previously\, she was managing editor of Salon and The Bay Citizen\, which produced the Bay Area pages of New York Times. Jeanne was the Peter Barnes Long-Form Journalism Fellow at Mesa Refuge in 2021. \nRoberto Lovato is an award-winning journalist\, and the author of Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family\, Migration\, Gangs\, and Revolution in the Americas\, a “groundbreaking” memoir the New York Times picked as an “Editor’s Choice.” Newsweek listed Roberto’s memoir as a “must read” 2020 book while the Los Angeles Times listed it as one of its 20 Best Books of 2020. He is also an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Nevada\, Las Vegas. His work has appeared in the New York Times\, the Boston Globe\, Guernica\, Le Monde Diplomatique\, La Opinion\, Der Spiegel and other national and international media outlets. A recipient of a reporting grant from the Pulitzer Center\, he has reported on numerous issues—violence\, terrorism\, the drug war and the refugee crisis—from Mexico\, Venezuela\, El Salvador\, Dominican Republic\, Haiti\, France and the United States\, among other countries. Roberto was a Marion Weber Healing Arts Fellow at Mesa Refuge in 2025.
URL:https://mesarefuge.org/event/jeanne-carstensen-and-roberto-lovato/
LOCATION:Pt Reyes Presbyterian Church\, 11445 CA-1\, Point Reyes Station\, CA\, 94956\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mesarefuge.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bird-Drawing-Workshop.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260708T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260708T163000
DTSTAMP:20260707T010417Z
CREATED:20260221T000132Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260707T010417Z
UID:9936-1783515600-1783528200@mesarefuge.org
SUMMARY:Workshop - Writing In the Artists' Garden
DESCRIPTION:“Summer afternoon\, summer afternoon\, to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language\,” said Henry James. \nJoin us for an inspiring summer afternoon of writing at the Mesa Refuge – the former home of well-known California Abstract Expressionist painter Sam Francis. The home and gardens of Sam and Margaret Francis provide the ideal setting for exploring our inner and outer landscapes and enjoying the gardens\, writing sheds and views of the Giacomini Wetlands and the San Andreas Fault. In this workshop led by former Mesa Refuge Executive Director and teacher Susan Page Tillett and author and teacher Elizabeth Fishel\, students will learn the history of the artists’ home and will be encouraged to find a place on the property that resonates with them\, as an inspiration for their writing. \nOpen to writers of all experience levels. Short writing prompts and poems shared in small groups will help you sharpen your observational skills\, mine your memories\, and use all your senses to create surprising pieces of prose by the end of the session. \nThe instructors have co-taught popular writing workshops at the Mesa Refuge\, Ghost Ranch and online for UC Berkeley’s Osher Lifelong Institute and at the 92nd Street Y in New York for the past 10 years. They particularly enjoy teaching at the Mesa Refuge\, where they first collaborated. \nSliding scale $50-100. Limited to 18 participants. Please reach out to nkansky@mesarefuge.org if the cost of the workshop is prohibitive to your participation. \nCancellation Policy: In order to receive a partial refund (a $15 admin fee is deducted from your payment)\, we require 7 days notice.  \n\nSusan Page Tillett became the first executive director of the Mesa Refuge in October 2013. She originally came to the Mesa Refuge as a writer and later moved to West Marin to lead the artist community from founder’s startup to a sustainable organization. Susan has a deep commitment to supporting the work of creative people and connecting them to the local community. Prior to directing Mesa Refuge\, Susan was executive director of the Ragdale Foundation\, a large artist community north of Chicago\, from 2000-2012. During her tenure\, she welcomed more than 2\,000 artists-in-residence\, restored the historic property\, increased Ragdale’s profile in the community and raised more than $10 million. Before working in artist communities\, Susan had 25 years of experience in museums\, including the Smithsonian\, the Art Institute of Chicago\, the Chicago History Museum and the Cape Cod National Seashore. You can read more about Susan here. \nElizabeth Fishel is a widely published journalist and author of five nonfiction books including Sisters; Reunion; and Getting To 30: A Parent’s Guide to the 20-Something Years (coauthored with Jeffrey Arnett)\, as well as a contributor to publications including Vogue\, Oprah’s O\, Ms.\, New York and The Writer. You can read more about Elizabeth here.
URL:https://mesarefuge.org/event/in-the-artists-garden/
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ORGANIZER;CN="Mesa Refuge":MAILTO:info@mesarefuge.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260627T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260627T180000
DTSTAMP:20260623T165637Z
CREATED:20260602T201345Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260623T165637Z
UID:10319-1782576000-1782583200@mesarefuge.org
SUMMARY:Sophie Wood Brinker
DESCRIPTION:Bolinas-based artist\, illustrator\, and Mesa alum Sophie Wood Brinker joins Point Reyes Books at the Dance Palace to celebrate the publication of her new book\, Birds of Santa Cruz. This event is organized by Point Reyes Books. This is a free event and no registration is required. Visit their website for more information. \nThis charming\, full-color guide to the birds of Santa Cruz is infused with California coastal soul and the quiet fierceness of love one can only derive from ardent attention. Author-illustrator Sophie Wood Brinker profiles 25 species you’re likely to spot hopping the sands or soaring overhead in Surf City\, and shares what we can learn not only about them but from them. From the collective organizing of the Brown Pelican\, to the community protection of the California Quail\, to the Band-Tailed Pigeon flock that Sophie likens to a mutual aid cooperative\, these birds have stories to tell. Vivid hand-painted portraits accompanied by identification and song notes help everyone get to know their avian neighbors\, with descriptions of each species that invoke reflections from Diane di Prima\, Mary Oliver\, and dreamers of all stripes. A joy to read and pore over\, Birds of Santa Cruz shimmers with poetic sensibility and a conservationist ethos. Sophie’s findings\, gleaned from patient observation\, will enchant readers far beyond the city limits. \n\nSophie Wood Brinker is a science illustrator and writer who concentrates on appreciation of the small care of human and non-human neighbors. As a Quaker\, Sophie grew up sitting in intergenerational circles and hearing messages spoken out of silence. She has lived in Quaker communities on and off for much of her life and deeply values spending time with elders\, asking questions and working towards living a life of integrity and a quiet fierceness. Sophie has a BA in Peace and Global Studies from Earlham College and is a graduate of the Science Illustration Graduate program at California State University\, Monterey Bay. She is also a librarian at the Stinson Beach Library. Sophie worked on Birds of Santa Cruz while she was at Mesa Refuge. She was a 2025 West Marin Community Fellow. You can learn more about Sophie Wood Brinker here. \n 
URL:https://mesarefuge.org/event/sophie-wood-brinker/
LOCATION:Dance Palace\, 503 B Street\, Point Reyes Station\, CA\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mesarefuge.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bird-Drawing-Workshop.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260620T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260620T160000
DTSTAMP:20260619T001420Z
CREATED:20260601T225340Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260619T001420Z
UID:10315-1781964000-1781971200@mesarefuge.org
SUMMARY:Garden Party
DESCRIPTION:Join us for our annual Garden Party! Enjoy delicious local food (from Two Mamacitas and Elito’s Pizza)\, desserts\, beer\, mead\, and wine; and connect with Mesa alums and our larger community! \nThe Garden Party is a unique opportunity to tour Mesa Refuge and hear about the timely and important work of our residents. Mesa alum\, Annie Leonard\, co-author (along with André Carothers) of the new book Protest: Respect It. Defend It. Use It\, will be our featured speaker. \nRecommended $25 donation for Mesa Refuge alums. Recommended $50-$150 donation sliding scale for general public. \nWe would like to thank our donors! \nBrickmaiden Breads \nGood Earth Natural Foods \nGood Luck Bakery \nGriffo Distillery \nHeidrun Meadery \nInverness Park Market \nKyra Epstein \nMoonlight Brewing Co. \nPoint Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. \nTrader Joe’s \n  \n 
URL:https://mesarefuge.org/event/garden-party-2/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mesarefuge.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bird-Drawing-Workshop.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260612T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260612T130000
DTSTAMP:20260309T180507Z
CREATED:20260309T180507Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T180507Z
UID:10013-1781254800-1781269200@mesarefuge.org
SUMMARY:Garden Workday
DESCRIPTION:See where the magic happens! Join us for a morning of mulching and weeding. Visit Mesa’s serene property and support us by preparing the garden to look its best for the 2026 Garden Party. After tending to the garden\, we’ll have lunch together overlooking Tomales Bay. \nPlease email nkansky@mesarefuge.org to volunteer.
URL:https://mesarefuge.org/event/garden-workday/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mesarefuge.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bird-Drawing-Workshop.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260528T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260528T190000
DTSTAMP:20260429T201550Z
CREATED:20260326T173906Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T201550Z
UID:10109-1779987600-1779994800@mesarefuge.org
SUMMARY:Happy Hour Before Bay Area Book Festival
DESCRIPTION:Kick off your Bay Area Book Festival weekend by joining the Mesa Refuge community for a happy hour at Telegraph Beer Garden (Beeryland) in Oakland! We invite all Mesa Refuge alums and those interested in our writing retreat to connect with each other\, board members\, and staff. \n 
URL:https://mesarefuge.org/event/mesa-refuge-happy-hour/
LOCATION:Telegraph Beer Garden\, 2318 Telegraph Ave.\, Oakland\, CA\, 94612
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mesarefuge.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bird-Drawing-Workshop.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Mesa Refuge":MAILTO:info@mesarefuge.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260526T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260526T193000
DTSTAMP:20260420T205324Z
CREATED:20260420T205324Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T205324Z
UID:10177-1779818400-1779823800@mesarefuge.org
SUMMARY:Panel - Fundraising for Arts and Literary Nonprofits
DESCRIPTION:Art and literary nonprofits often depend on the kindness of strangers to secure funding and serve the public. How do they do it? What does it take to support the arts in today’s economic climate? Hear from experts on both sides of the grant-making process as they discuss the ways philanthropy and the tricky task of asking for money create a sustainable arts ecosystem that serves us all. With executive directors J. K. Fowler (Bay Area Book Festival)\, Kamala Tully (Mesa Refuge)\, artist and grant-writer JD Beltran\, and philanthropic leader Dimple Abichandani. Moderated by Elizabeth Forsyth (The Writers Grotto\, Local Words). \nCurated by Mesa Alum Janine Kovac. \nNo registration necessary. To learn more about this event\, visit the San Francisco Public Library event posting.
URL:https://mesarefuge.org/event/panel-fundraising-for-arts-and-literary-nonprofits/
LOCATION:Koret Auditorium at the SF Main Library\, 100 Larkin St.\, San Francisco\, CA\, 94102\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mesarefuge.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bird-Drawing-Workshop.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260517T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260517T173000
DTSTAMP:20260127T005622Z
CREATED:20260126T163632Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260127T005622Z
UID:9669-1779033600-1779039000@mesarefuge.org
SUMMARY:Kate Weiner and Kailea Loften
DESCRIPTION:Kate Weiner and Kailea Loften discuss their new book\, Compassion in Crisis: Building Disaster-Resilient Communities (Heyday Books) at this event presented in partnership with the Pt Reyes Books. \n“As we enter an era of climate shifts and more frequent\, layered catastrophes\, this is the book you want beside you to navigate the realities of disaster and recovery. Drawing from survivors\, practitioners\, and thinkers\, this book offers a guide to cultivating the kind of attentiveness and care that might help us think about preparedness wholistically\, from philosophical ideas about how our experiences of time shift to practical and profound advice that can move the needle towards justice in the aftermath of grief and loss.” —Candis Callison\, Member\, Tāłtān Nation\, and author\, How Climate Change Comes to Matter: The Communal Life of Facts \nRegistration info coming soon! \nAbout the book\nA vibrant and holistic grassroots guide to disaster preparedness that builds community resilience. \npolycrisis noun /’pa: .li\, krai.sis/\na time of great disagreement\, confusion\, or suffering caused by many different crises occurring simultaneously and amplifying one another. \nHow do we live in the age of disaster? In this updated and expanded guide to collective crisis preparedness\, Kailea and Kate\, organizers and coeditors for the book and magazine publisher Loam\, share community-shaped strategies on how to practically navigate the challenges posed by overlapping catastrophes–be they environmental\, economic\, political\, or otherwise. Help is here for our bodies\, hearts\, minds\, and shared homes. By amplifying resources for resilience\, the authors underscore preparedness as a constant\, communal practice. They offer inspiration from frontline organizers who help their communities prepare for emergencies\, demonstrate how to envision probable futures after upheaval\, and showcase people-powered projects that nurture collective regeneration. With engaging prompts\, concise checklists\, and heartfelt advice\, Compassion in Crisis helps its readers build and sustain the durable mutual aid networks necessary for rapid response in the face of disaster. This is your invitation into the lifelong work of caring for our Earth and one another as we all find our way through the polycrisis. \nAbout the authors\nKailea Rose Loften is a mother of Tahltan\, Kaska\, and Black American ancestry. She is coeditor for the community publisher Loam and has guided climate change policy with an emphasis on Indigenous rights\, previously serving as a Climate Commissioner for the City of Petaluma\, California. You can contact her through kailealoften.com. \nKate Rose Weiner is a writer\, editor\, and publisher working at the intersections of culture and climate justice. She is coeditor of Loam and director of Loam Library\, a mobile library committed to bringing the power of print to the people. Weiner’s work is shaped by her studies in environmental art\, social practice\, and community herbalism.
URL:https://mesarefuge.org/event/kate-weiner-and-kailea-loften-compassion-in-crisis-building-disaster-resilient-communities/
LOCATION:Dance Palace\, 503 B Street\, Point Reyes Station\, CA\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mesarefuge.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bird-Drawing-Workshop.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260424T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260424T123000
DTSTAMP:20260305T025110Z
CREATED:20260302T215616Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260305T025110Z
UID:9972-1777021200-1777033800@mesarefuge.org
SUMMARY:Workshop - Bird Observation & Drawing
DESCRIPTION:Come spread your wings and join us for a day of observation\, creativity\, and connection with nature! Join artist\, avid birder\, and Mesa Refuge alum Kacy McKinney for a leisurely exploration of the Point Reyes Mesa\, above the headwaters of Tomales Bay\, the 9-mile-long sliver of saltwater that separates the Point Reyes Peninsula from mainland California. Here\, we’ll observe a diverse array of birds—from raptors and shorebirds to flycatchers\, swallows\, wrens\, finches\, and warblers. As we explore\, we’ll take time to observe\, document\, and discuss our sightings. \nThen\, we’ll go inside Mesa Refuge for a drawing session. Using a graphite pencil or ink\, we’ll create black-and-white sketches that capture the birds we’ve encountered. With an emphasis on bird heads\, we’ll explore ways to bring character and expression into our artwork. No drawing experience is needed—just curiosity and a love of birds! Please bring your journal or sketchbook along with your favorite drawing tools (pencil\, ink pen). A small selection of paper\, pencils\, erasers\, and pens will be provided. \nThis event is part of the Point Reyes Birding & Nature Festival. Please visit their website for more information about the festival. \n\nKacy McKinney is an artist\, avid birder\, and scholar. She was raised in Point Reyes Station and now lives in Portland\, Oregon. Kacy has a Ph.D. in geography and has taught at the university level for 15 years. She is currently Artist-Scholar in Residence at the Homelessness Research and Action Collaborative at Portland State University. Kacy was a resident at Mesa Refuge in 2019. View her work\, or follow her on Instagram: @kacy.mckinney.
URL:https://mesarefuge.org/event/workshop-point-reyes-bird-observation-drawing-with-kacy-mckinney-point-reyes-birding-nature-festival/
LOCATION:Mesa Refuge\, 11 Los Reyes Dr\, Point Reyes Station\, California\, 94956\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mesarefuge.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bird-Drawing-Workshop.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260416T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260416T163000
DTSTAMP:20260304T173015Z
CREATED:20260210T004449Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260304T173015Z
UID:9880-1776348000-1776357000@mesarefuge.org
SUMMARY:Workshop - Healing Spaces with Jaune Evans
DESCRIPTION:What creates a Healing Space? Light and air\, colors and textures\, palpable feelings of well-being\, a magnetic energy of beauty and safety. \nThe Gathering Room (pictured above) is just one of many healing spaces at Mesa Refuge. Surrounded by curvy coastal live oak trees\, tidal wetlands\, and fragrant wild grasses\, sunlight and fog dance across every window. A peaceful quiet\, a warm fire\, and mug of herbal tea nurtures the writer in us. We can sink into and delight in our own deep creativity\, and\, possibly\, an experience of healing. \n“The notion that nature was important to healing had been around for thousands of years—going back to classical times\, when temples to Asclepius\, the Greek god of healing\, were built far from towns\, high up on hilltops overlooking the sea. But by the late twentieth century\, the field of medicine and state-of-the-art hospitals were generally designed to accommodate state-of-the-art equipment. \n“Before the technological revolution of the twentieth century\, medicine had often believed that environment played a role in healing. The idea that physical space might contribute to healing now in twenty-first century ecological systems thinking has a scientific basis. \n“Healing is thought of in the twenty-first century as a sense of wholeness experienced alone and with others in beautiful sunlight and starlight\, in thrilling conversations\, in feelings of empathy and shared grief\, in the joy and support of true friendship.”  \n – Healing Spaces: The Science of Place and Well-Being by Esther M. Sternberg\, M.D. \nCome join us to explore your creativity in Mesa Refuge’s Healing Space. \nSliding scale $50-100. Limited to 12 participants. Please reach out to nkansky@mesarefuge.org if the cost of the workshop is prohibitive to your participation. \nCancellation Policy: In order to receive a partial refund (a $15 admin fee is deducted from your payment)\, we require 7 days notice.  \n\n\nJaune Evans is a writer and visual artist. She serves as a senior meditation teacher and ordained Soto Zen priest with the Heart of Compassion Zen Sangha and the Bay Area Everyday Zen lineage. Jaune worked in public policy and philanthropy for three decades as the Executive Director of several foundations. Her ongoing interests and professional expertise include public health and hospice\, Indigenous Peoples’ rights\, protecting sacred lands and waters\, cultural and human rights\, gender empowerment\, and global justice alliance-building. She serves on the Board of Directors of Commonweal\, as well as the leadership team of Healing Circles Global. Her relationship with and love for Mesa Refuge as Board Member\, Spiritual Writing Fellow\, and Creative Advisor spans seventeen years of vibrant life in the Bay Area.
URL:https://mesarefuge.org/event/jaune-evans-healing-spaces/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mesarefuge.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bird-Drawing-Workshop.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Mesa Refuge":MAILTO:info@mesarefuge.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260402T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260402T163000
DTSTAMP:20260304T172948Z
CREATED:20260210T002847Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260304T172948Z
UID:9871-1775138400-1775147400@mesarefuge.org
SUMMARY:Workshop - The Wonder of Magic Places with Jaune Evans
DESCRIPTION:Magic places call to us\, enchant us\, leave lasting images of life’s treasured moments in our individual and collective memory.  Writing with (not just about) a place or a cluster of places—a childhood playhouse\, a lush green rainforest\, the sight of our own house at the end of the road\, a writing shed at Mesa Refuge\, the Lincoln Memorial\, a luminescent beach on Tomales Bay—invites us to enter into wonder\, to explore an expansive intimacy with beginner’s mind\, offers us an opportunity to pay attention to and be curious with what we love about the many places we inhabit.  \nWe can experiment with changing pronouns from “it” to “who” for places. We can ask places to share their secrets and sorrows\, historical events and cultural relationships from their past. We can write love letters to places\, prayers and peace treaties\, declarations of interdependence\, covenants of protection from harm or disfigurement.  \nEach participant will bring three images of places they want to write with or be guided by and engage with a story or poem (or any form of writing) that emerges during our time together. Come join us and make some magic. \nSliding scale $50-100. Limited to 12 participants. Please reach out to nkansky@mesarefuge.org if the cost of the workshop is prohibitive to your participation. \nCancellation Policy: In order to receive a partial refund (a $15 admin fee is deducted from your payment)\, we require 7 days notice.  \n\nJaune Evans is a writer and visual artist. She serves as a senior meditation teacher and ordained Soto Zen priest with the Heart of Compassion Zen Sangha and the Bay Area Everyday Zen lineage. Jaune worked in public policy and philanthropy for three decades as the Executive Director of several foundations. Her ongoing interests and professional expertise include public health and hospice\, Indigenous Peoples’ rights\, protecting sacred lands and waters\, cultural and human rights\, gender empowerment\, and global justice alliance-building. She serves on the Board of Directors of Commonweal\, as well as the leadership team of Healing Circles Global. Her relationship with and love for Mesa Refuge as Board Member\, Spiritual Writing Fellow\, and Creative Advisor spans seventeen years of vibrant life in the Bay Area.
URL:https://mesarefuge.org/event/the-wonder-of-magic-places-with-jaune-evans/
LOCATION:Mesa Refuge\, 11 Los Reyes Dr\, Point Reyes Station\, California\, 94956\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mesarefuge.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bird-Drawing-Workshop.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Mesa Refuge":MAILTO:info@mesarefuge.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260331T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260331T193000
DTSTAMP:20260126T184202Z
CREATED:20260126T155221Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260126T184202Z
UID:9655-1774980000-1774985400@mesarefuge.org
SUMMARY:Terry Tempest Williams
DESCRIPTION:Terry Tempest Williams returns to Point Reyes to discuss her new book\, The Glorians: Visitations from the Holy Ordinary (Grove Press). \n“I go to Terry Tempest Williams for the reasons I go to Whitman and Thoreau: to recover a capacious spirit and to rejoin the urgent living world. She gives me something bigger than hope.”―Richard Powers\, author of The Overstory \nThis event is presented in partnership with Pt Reyes Books. Each ticket purchase includes a copy of The Glorians. \nAbout The Glorians\n\nFrom the visionary New York Times bestselling author\, a revelatory work of narrative nonfiction exploring beauty in the desert\, climate change\, and\, transformative moments of power in a world beset by uncertainty \nWhether we believe it or not\, rapid change is upon us. I am searching for grace. \nIn this time of political fragility\, climate chaos\, and seeking beauty wherever we can find its glimmer\, Terry Tempest Williams introduces us to the Glorians. They are not distant deities\, but the ordinary\, often overlooked presences–animal\, plant\, memory\, moment–that reveal our shared vulnerability and interconnectedness with the natural world. The Glorians can be as small as an ant ferrying a coyote willow blossom to its queen or as commonplace as the night sky. But what they can collectively show us–about the radical act of attending to beauty and carrying forward against all odds–is immense. \nJourneying through encounters with the Glorians in the red rock desert of Utah during the pandemic to Harvard University where she teaches in the Divinity School\, Williams weaves a story of astonishing personal and societal insight. As she grapples with the unsettled state of the world\, she turns not to despair but to deep reflection. She sees how the Glorians are calling us to attention\, not as an army\, but as fellow inhabitants of our sacred\, threatened home. They remind us of the power of contact between species and the profound courage–and awareness–it will take to dream a more cohesive future into being. \nWise and lyrical\, The Glorians is a testament to the power of witness\, a field guide to finding grace in the unexpected\, and a moving invitation to engage with one another and our surroundings with renewed intention. In a modern world filled with increasing noise and anxiety\, Terry Tempest Williams offers honest sustenance for the mind and spirit and distinguishes herself again as a trusted voice to whom we can turn to more fully understand our times. \nMesa Refuge Alum Terry Tempest Williams is the award-winning author of over twenty books of creative nonfiction\, including the environmental classic\, Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place. Among her other books are Leap; Red; The Open Space of Democracy; Finding Beauty in a Broken World; When Women Were Birds; The Hour of Land; and Erosion: Essays of Undoing. Her work has been translated and anthologized worldwide. A recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Lannan Literary Award\, she is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Letters and is currently writer-in-residence at the Harvard Divinity School. She divides her time between Cambridge\, Massachusetts and Southeastern Utah.
URL:https://mesarefuge.org/event/terry-tempest-williams-the-glorians-visitations-from-the-holy-ordinary/
LOCATION:Dance Palace\, 503 B Street\, Point Reyes Station\, CA\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mesarefuge.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bird-Drawing-Workshop.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260307T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260307T170000
DTSTAMP:20260302T192548Z
CREATED:20251117T203418Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260302T192548Z
UID:9161-1772899200-1772902800@mesarefuge.org
SUMMARY:Rebecca Solnit
DESCRIPTION:Rebecca Solnit joins us to discuss her latest collection of essays\, The Beginning Comes After the End: Notes on a World of Change.\n\n\n\nCo-presented with Pt Reyes Books. Each ticket purchase includes a copy of the book. \nAbout the book\nRebecca Solnit offers a thrilling account of the sheer breadth and scale of social\, political\, scientific\, and cultural change over the past three quarters of a century. \nIn this sequel to her enduring bestseller Hope in the Dark\, Solnit surveys a world that has changed dramatically since the year 1960. Despite the forces seeking to turn back the clock on history\, change is not a possibility; it is an inevitability. \nThe changes amount to nothing less than dismantling an old civilization and building a new one\, whose newness is often the return of the old ways and wisdoms. In this rising worldview\, interconnection is a core idea and value. But because the transformation is obscured within a longer arc of history\, its scale is seldom recognized. \nWhile the white nationalist and authoritarian backlash drives individualism and isolation\, this new world embraces antiracism\, feminism\, a more expansive understanding of gender\, environmental thinking\, scientific breakthroughs\, and Indigenous and non-Western ideas\, pointing toward a more interconnected\, relational world. \n\n\n\nMesa Refuge Alum Rebecca Solnit is the author of more than 25 books\, including Orwell’s Roses\, Hope in the Dark\, Men Explain Things to Me\, A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities that Arise in Disaster\, and A Field Guide to Getting Lost. A longtime climate and human rights activist\, she serves on the boards of Oil Change International and Third Act. Her newsletter of essays and analyses can be found at meditationsinanemergency.com.
URL:https://mesarefuge.org/event/rebecca-solnit/
LOCATION:Dance Palace\, 503 B Street\, Point Reyes Station\, CA\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mesarefuge.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bird-Drawing-Workshop.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Mesa Refuge":MAILTO:info@mesarefuge.org
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251205T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251205T170000
DTSTAMP:20251124T210719Z
CREATED:20251117T202815Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251124T210719Z
UID:9154-1764925200-1764954000@mesarefuge.org
SUMMARY:Writing Day at Mesa Refuge
DESCRIPTION:We are at capacity for this writing day. Thank you for your interest. \n— \nEach season\, we offer writing days of solitude\, sanctuary and community. On these days\, Mesa Refuge is open and available for you to make progress on your writing projects and enjoy the camaraderie of other writers. We start with coffee/tea\, light snacks\, and brief conversation and inspiration. The majority of the day is spent with uninterrupted time in one of the bedrooms or writing sheds to further your creative projects. \nWriting Days are the inspiration of Mesa Refuge alum\, Janine Kovac\, and are loosely held by her and other alums. Please bring your own lunch and any snacks you might need\, so you can work at your preferred pace and timing. Limited to four participants. \nFri Dec 5 – AT CAPACITY\, hosted by Janine Kovac and Margaret Juhae Lee \nPhoto by Jean Melesaine featuring Mesa Refuge alum Shimica Gaskins
URL:https://mesarefuge.org/event/writing-day-at-mesa-refuge/
LOCATION:Mesa Refuge\, 11 Los Reyes Dr\, Point Reyes Station\, California\, 94956\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mesarefuge.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bird-Drawing-Workshop.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Mesa Refuge":MAILTO:info@mesarefuge.org
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251115T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251115T120000
DTSTAMP:20250922T234734Z
CREATED:20250922T225658Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250922T234734Z
UID:8444-1763199000-1763208000@mesarefuge.org
SUMMARY:Seasonal Writing as a Spiritual Practice with David James Duncan
DESCRIPTION:Mesa Refuge\, Emergence Magazine and Point Reyes Books are co-hosting a writing workshop with Volume 6: Seasons contributor and acclaimed writer David James Duncan exploring how writing with attention to the seasons can be a spiritual practice. \nDavid has offered creative workshops for over thirty years with a focus on holding spaces of presence\, imagination\, and renewal. At this intimate intergenerational gathering\, David will invite participants to contemplate Earth’s seasons as teacher\, companion\, and doorway to attuning to the cyclicality of our own inner seasons\, while guiding generative exercises that weave together prayer\, poetry\, and imaginative prose. \nAll levels of writing experience are welcome. 10 spots available. Ticket prices as follows: \n\n5 tickets available for participants over 30-years-old\, $75 to $125 sliding scale\n5 tickets available for participants 30-years-old and under\, $25\n\n\nDavid James Duncan is author of the award-winning novels The River Why and The Brothers K\, and most recently\, Sun House; the nonfiction collection My Story as Told by Water\, which was a finalist for the National Book Award; the best-selling collection of “churchless sermons” God Laughs and Plays; and the story collection River Teeth. His recognitions include three Pacific Northwest Booksellers Awards\, two Pushcart Prizes\, a Lannan Fellowship\, and the American Library Association’s 2004 Award for the Preservation of Intellectual Freedom (with co-author Wendell Berry). \n\n  \nFeatured photo pulled from Emergence Magazine\, Volume 6
URL:https://mesarefuge.org/event/seasonal-writing-as-a-spiritual-practice-with-david-james-duncan/
LOCATION:Mesa Refuge\, 11 Los Reyes Dr\, Point Reyes Station\, California\, 94956\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://mesarefuge.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Bird-Drawing-Workshop.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Mesa Refuge":MAILTO:info@mesarefuge.org
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