Writing Connections

Florence Williams is our guest for this final episode of season three. She is the author of Heartbreak, The Nature Fix, and Breasts and numerous articles for Outside Magazine and other publications. She is also a public speaker and sometimes-podcaster and leads retreats in the U.S. and Europe. In this episode, Florence shares her insights about leading and attending retreats as well as her enthusiasm for the life-changing impact of nature. 

Learn more about Florence at her website or connect with her on Instagram. 

This episode was recorded at Builder Studios in Bountiful, Utah.

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Connect with me online:

• On Instagram @writing_connections_podcast or @laura_isa_walker
• On my website: lauraswalker.com
• Through my newsletter

Additional Resources:

Get the latest information about promoting or finding a writing retreat.

• Promote Your Writing Retreat

The Writing Connections Team

Our team includes Shauri Thacker as audio engineer, Jordyn Maxfield as social media manager, and Payson Davis as audio intern.

Make sure to subscribe or follow so you never miss an episode!

Our guest for this episode, Nikos Dimitriou, is a former world traveler and current host of bespoke writing retreats in Evia, Greece. In our conversation, we discuss how he and his wife explored the globe for seven years before returning home to start their hospitality venture Writers' Retreats | Greece. We explore his writing journey and discuss the importance of community and connection at home and abroad. 

Show Notes:

Visit Nikos and Georgia on Instagram or book your own magical stay in Greece at their website. Check out some of the poems written by Hilary Sideris last time she was in Evia. And for the April special at Root & Rise in France, use the code BYOBestie.

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Connect with me online:

• On Instagram @writing_connections_podcast or @laura_isa_walker
• On my website: lauraswalker.com
• Through my newsletter

Additional Resources:

Get the latest information about promoting or finding a writing retreat.

• Promote Your Writing Retreat

The Writing Connections Team

Our team includes Shauri Thacker as audio engineer, Jordyn Maxfield as social media manager, and Payson Davis as audio intern.

Make sure to subscribe or follow so you never miss an episode!

This month's guest, Erin McGuire, is a former academic and global research leader whose career has centered on equity in agricultural innovation systems. In 2025, when shifts in U.S. government priorities abruptly cut her federal research funding, Erin faced a pivotal moment. Rather than retreat, she chose to build. What had begun as quiet conversations about creating space for women to rest and reconnect became Root & Rise—a community-backed retreat and investment model grounded in collective ownership and shared joy. In this episode, we talk about the path that led her to this moment, mere months away from the first ever first Root & Rise summer camp in the French Countryside.

Show Notes: 

Connect with Erin and the Root & Rise community...

• on their website (https://rootandrise.com/) 
• or Instagram (@__rootandrise__/). 

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Connect with me online:

• On Instagram @writing_connections_podcast or @laura_isa_walker
• On my website: lauraswalker.com
• Through my newsletter

Additional Resources:

Get the latest information about promoting or finding a writing retreat.

• Promote Your Writing Retreat

The Writing Connections Team

Our team includes Shauri Thacker as audio engineer, Jordyn Maxfield as social media manager, and Payson Davis as audio intern.

Make sure to subscribe or follow so you never miss an episode!

In part 2 of my interview with Chelsea DesAutels, we talk about doing the work in terms of facing rejection and creating community out of crisis. 

Chelsea DesAutels is the author of A Dangerous Place (Sarabande Books, 2021), which was named a New York Times Editors’ Choice and described by Publishers Weekly as a “lush and transformative debut” (starred review). Chelsea writes and teaches extensively and is the founder of Freshwater Writing, which offers writer-focused, community-centered retreats, writing circles, and mentorships.

Show Notes: 

• Connect with Chelsea on her website (chelseabdesautels.com) or Instagram (@freshwaterwriting). 
• Read her essay, The Poetry of Minneapolis, here.

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Connect with me online:

• On Instagram @writing_connections_podcast or @laura_isa_walker
• On my website: lauraswalker.com
• Through my newsletter

Additional Resources:

Get the latest information about promoting or finding a writing retreat.

• Promote Your Writing Retreat

The Writing Connections Team

Our team includes Shauri Thacker as audio engineer, Jordyn Maxfield as social media manager, and Payson Davis as audio intern.

Make sure to subscribe or follow so you never miss an episode!

Chelsea DesAutels is the author of A Dangerous Place (Sarabande Books, 2021), which was named a New York Times Editors’ Choice and described by Publishers Weekly as a “lush and transformative debut” (starred review). Chelsea writes and teaches extensively and is the founder of Freshwater Writing, which offers writer-focused, community-centered retreats, writing circles, and mentorships.

In Part 1 of my conversation with Chelsea, we talk about her experience attending and running retreats and the importance of putting yourself out there to make connections and build a life as a writer. 

Check back in two weeks for part 2, where we discuss risk, rejection, and the role of poetry in difficult times. 

Show Links:

• Chelsea's website
• Chelsea's Instagram
• Freshwater Writing

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Connect with me online:

• On Instagram @writing_connections_podcast or @laura_isa_walker
• On my website: lauraswalker.com
• Through my newsletter

Additional Resources:

Get the latest information about promoting or finding a writing retreat.

• Promote Your Writing Retreat

The Writing Connections Team

Our team includes Shauri Thacker as audio engineer, Jordyn Maxfield as social media manager, and Payson Davis as audio intern.

Make sure to subscribe or follow so you never miss an episode!

In this second half of my interview with Shannon Vesely, we take a broader view on writing connections and talk about how to make the most of them. Shannon gives advice on both attending and offering retreats, and we discuss what to do with rejection. Ultimately, Shannon shares her successes and failures as a writer and the importance of creating your own path. 

Show Links:

• Shannon's blog Sanctuaries
• Shannon's book The Way of Things
• Shannon's book Keeping Watch on Soap Creek
• Soaring Gardens Artist Retreat application portal

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Connect with me online:

• On Instagram @writing_connections_podcast or @laura_isa_walker
• On my website: lauraswalker.com
• Through my newsletter

Additional Resources:

Get the latest information about promoting or finding a writing retreat.

• Promote Your Writing Retreat

The Writing Connections Team

Our team includes Shauri Thacker as audio engineer, Jordyn Maxfield as social media manager, and Payson Davis as audio intern.

Make sure to subscribe or follow so you never miss an episode!

In this first episode of 2026, I interview Shannon Vesely, a poet, writer, and educator. This is the first half of our interview, where we discuss Shannon's writing process and her experience with writing retreats. 

Show Links:

• Shannon's blog Sanctuaries
• Shannon's book The Way of Things
• Shannon's book Keeping Watch on Soap Creek
• Soaring Gardens Artist Retreat application portal

------------------------

Connect with me online:

• On Instagram @writing_connections_podcast or @laura_isa_walker
• On my website: lauraswalker.com
• Through my newsletter

Additional Resources:

Get the latest information about promoting or finding a writing retreat.

• Promote Your Writing Retreat

The Writing Connections Team

Our team includes Shauri Thacker as audio engineer, Jordyn Maxfield as social media manager, and Payson Davis as audio intern.

Make sure to subscribe or follow so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, Laura discusses her history with all kinds of writing retreats, her vision for this podcast, and her infatuation with inchworms—perhaps the most acrobatic of all earthbound insects. 🐛 Tune in to catch the new name of the podcast and to hear us gush about its future!

Show Links:

• Laura Walker's website
• Inchworms doing their thing!
• Laura's instagram @laura_isa_walker

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Connect with me online:

• On Instagram @writing_connections_podcast or @laura_isa_walker
• On my website: lauraswalker.com
• Through my newsletter

Additional Resources:

Get the latest information about promoting or finding a writing retreat.

• Promote Your Writing Retreat

The Writing Connections Team

Our team includes Shauri Thacker as audio engineer, Jordyn Maxfield as social media manager, and Payson Davis as audio intern.

Make sure to subscribe or follow so you never miss an episode!

I was excited to talk to this week’s guest, Laura Walker about the upcoming changes to this podcast. We delved into my mission for it when I started it and how excited I am to have Laura, who is amazing, take the reins and keep it growing.

Today’s episode is part 1 of that interview. Tune in in a few weeks for part 2 to hear more about Laura’s vision to help more writers feel supported, inspired and motivated.

Show Links:

• Laura Walker's website

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Connect with me online:

• On Instagram @writing_connections_podcast or @laura_isa_walker
• On my website: lauraswalker.com
• Through my newsletter

Additional Resources:

Get the latest information about promoting or finding a writing retreat.

• Promote Your Writing Retreat

The Writing Connections Team

Our team includes Shauri Thacker as audio engineer, Jordyn Maxfield as social media manager, and Payson Davis as audio intern.

Make sure to subscribe or follow so you never miss an episode!

 Welcome to Season 3 of "Your Writing Retreat Connection." In this episode I share what's in store for the next chapter of the podcast.

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Connect with me online:

• On Instagram @writing_connections_podcast or @laura_isa_walker
• On my website: lauraswalker.com
• Through my newsletter

Additional Resources:

Get the latest information about promoting or finding a writing retreat.

• Promote Your Writing Retreat

The Writing Connections Team

Our team includes Shauri Thacker as audio engineer, Jordyn Maxfield as social media manager, and Payson Davis as audio intern.

Make sure to subscribe or follow so you never miss an episode!