Seabeck Haiku Getaway 2021

Our fourteenth annual Haiku Northwest haiku retreat will happen at the end of October 2021! We will be staying in comfortable accommodations across the lagoon from Hood Canal at the Seabeck Conference Center, and hopefully meeting in the brand-new Pines building—hope you’ll join us!

October 28–31, 2021, IN PERSON

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER (registration opens August 1, 2021)
SEE THE 2021 SCHEDULE
FEATURED GUEST: Chuck Brickley
REGISTERED ATTENDEES (want to know who’s coming? check out this list)
WEEKEND THEME: Togetherness
SEE THE 2021 KUKAI WINNERS

Covid-19 Considerations (everyone’s safety is extremely important to us)

We have all lived through a challenging pandemic, and it’s still not quite over. But we are pleased to say that, following Washington State guidance, the Seabeck Conference Center is open to everyone under vaccination and testing precautions. We will privately ask for proof of vaccination as part of your registration process (by emailing our registrar a photo or scan of your vaccination card). Your second vaccination (if your vaccination requires two shots) or only vaccination (if it requires just one shot) must be at least two weeks before our retreat starts, so by October 14, 2021 if you arrive on October 28. If you haven’t yet had your vaccinations, please plan ahead with these dates in mind. All attendees must provide proof of full vaccination as part of the registration process (prior to attending). In addition to this, please know that all Seabeck Conference Center staff have been fully vaccinated. Although all attendees will be fully vaccinated, we appreciate that everyone’s comfort level is different, so while we hope that masks will not be required, we want you to feel welcome to wear a mask if you feel more comfortable doing so. Other than requiring vaccination, we expect no other mandated restrictions to our weekend, so it should feel as normal as possible. One small change, however, is that meals will be served buffet-style in the dining hall instead of family-style (so main dishes won’t already be at our tables). When you register, private rooms will be available, but will cost more (as usual). Each room in Pines and Spruce, our expected accommodations for 2021, has a private bathroom. If you have any other questions, please contact either Michael Dylan Welch or Tanya McDonald. We want you to feel completely confident that our gathering will be safe. See also the Seabeck Conference Center pandemic precautions (PDF form). Please also note that we will be closely monitoring Washington State pandemic guidelines and will update this website (and email registered attendees) if any guidance or requirements might affect our weekend plans.

A Note on Vaccinations: Haiku Northwest, after a board discussion, has decided that it will require full vaccination for all attendees at Seabeck this year (consequently, having just a negative Covid test is not enough). We feel that full vaccination will increase everyone's confidence in attending and improve everyone's safety. If this decision makes you feel unfairly excluded from attending (if you are not able to get the vaccination or receive a second dose for whatever reason), please let us know (email Michael Dylan Welch at WelchM@aol.com). As part of the registration process, a scan or photo of your vaccination card must be sent to our registrar.

Our Accommodations: We fully expect the new Pines building to be finished in time for our haiku weekend, and it looks like our group might be among the very first to use it. In case it’s not quite finished in time, however, please be aware that we may have to be reassigned to other accommodations at the conference center. Although this might be a last-minute change, we expect everyone to be accommodated just as comfortably as in previous years. We appreciate your patience and understanding if we need to make any changes. Read more about Seabeck accommodations, including photos and layout maps.

Covid Cancellations: If the pandemic situation should change and our retreat becomes prohibited, we have been assured by the Seabeck Conference Center that we will receive a full refund. If you need to cancel because your comfort level changes after you register, please contact us and we will do everything we can to refund your payment. Our registration of accommodations usually requires us to meet a minimum quota relative to the number of rooms we reserve, or pay the difference, but the conference center is willing to be flexible on the quota this year. If our in-person event becomes impossible, we will reschedule our event on Zoom.

2021 Haiku Northwest Retreat

Join the Haiku Northwest group on the weekend of October 28–31, 2021 (Thursday through Sunday) at the Seabeck Conference Center by the water on Washington State’s Kitsap Peninsula. Our featured speaker is Chuck Brickley. Our theme for the weekend is “togetherness,” which we hope is particularly fitting after our physically isolating pandemic. We have been hoping to stay in the brand-new Pines building, but it looks like it won't quite be finished and open in time for our weekend. Accordingly, we expect to be reassigned to other accommodations at the conference center, and will meet in the Colman Center. Everyone will be provided a private room, without extra private-room fees (all or most rooms should have private bathrooms). Our full-weekend rate is $290 for a long weekend of meals, accommodations, and all the haiku you can carry! Enjoy the lagoon, waterfront, woods, mountain views, stimulating presentations and workshops, and fine haiku camaraderie. Early registration deadline: Payments must be postmarked by September 25, 2021 (rate increases after this date, and please also email to say you're registering if you register after September 25).

Registration Page

Click here for the 2021 retreat registration page (numerous options available, including day rates with no accommodations). Registration opens August 1, 2021, and closes October 20, 2021, with the discounted early registration payment deadline postmarked by September 25, 2021. Do not register before August 1. Registration may be possible after October 20, especially for day visitors, but please inquire first. See you at Seabeck!

Cancellation Fee

Reservations cancelled by September 25, 2021 are entitled to a full refund, minus a $25 cancellation fee. After this date, partial refunds will be given at the registrar's discretion, minus at least a $50 cancellation fee. You must email or phone us by September 22 to cancel your reservation. Note: It is possible that we may not be able to make any refunds after the cancellation date, but if we can, any refunds will be subject to at least a $50 cancellation fee.

Schedule

Events will include anonymous workshops, haiku walks, discussions, presentations, slideshows, haiku and renku writing time, and more! The schedule provides a mix of relaxation and stimulation, with plenty of breaks and variety. Click here to see the 2021 retreat schedule. For planning purposes, please know that check-in starts Thursday afternoon at 4:00 p.m., in the Historic Inn, with dinner at 6:00 p.m. (please arrive at least by 6:00 if coming on Thursday). Our events end at 1:00 p.m. Sunday at the conclusion of lunch, with an optional afternoon outing at about 2:00 p.m. Come join us!

More Photos

Click here to see photos of Seabeck conference facilities and nearby attractions. For photos of our previous retreats, by Michael Dylan Welch, click the following options:

Five-minute YouTube video about the 100th anniversary of the Seabeck Conference Center and see Seabeck scenery.
2019 video of attendees reading their haiku and video of six featured readers [YouTube links coming soon]
2019 retreat photos day one, day two, day three, and day four (held October 24–29) (coming soon)
2018 retreat photos day one, day two, day three, and day four (held October 25–28) (coming soon)
2017 retreat photos day one, day two, day three, and day four (held October 26–29)
2016 retreat photos day one, day two, day three, and day four (held October 27–30).
2015 retreat photos day one, day two, day three, and day four (held October 1–4).
2014 retreat photos part one and part two (held October 16–19) plus Faces and Name Badges from the 2014 Seabeck Haiku Getaway (all coming soon),
Jessica Tremblay’s Seabeck Haiku Getaway 2014, and Rick Clark’s Wrenzai Attends the Great Haiku Getaway blog posting
2013 retreat photos part one and part two (held October 10–13) plus Faces and Name Badges from the 2013 Seabeck Haiku Getaway (all shown above)
and Jessica Tremblay’s Old Pond Comics Goes to Seabeck (2013)
2012 retreat photos (held October 11–14) plus Faces and Name Badges from the 2012 Seabeck Haiku Getaway
2011 retreat photos (held October 13–16)
2010 retreat photos (held November 4–7)
2009 retreat photos (held October 16–18)
2008 retreat photos (held October 10–12)

To see a delightful short video of 2009 attendees reading their haiku, click here (also on YouTube). And read Penny Harter's report of attending the 2009 retreat (with links to additional photos and reports of the retreat), in which she says "The Seabeck Haiku Getaway was among the most enjoyable haiku events I’ve attended." And see a photo and description of the three publications produced to commemorate the 2009 retreat.

[PHOTOS COMING SOON]

2020 meeting group photos on Zoom

[PHOTO COMING SOON]

2019 group photo, in front of the Meeting House

2018 group photo, in front of the Meeting House.

2017 group photo, in front of our new meeting location, the Meeting House.

2016 group photo.

2015 group photo, on the historic bridge over the Seabeck lagoon.

2014 group photo, in front of the Seabeck Historic Inn.

2013 group photo.

2012 group photo.

2011 group photo.

2010 group photo.

2009 group photo.

2008 group photo.

Getting to Seabeck

Click to read extensive advice on how to get to Seabeck from SeaTac Airport, from Victoria or Vancouver in British Columbia, or from Portland, Oregon by various ferry and road options. For those who are new to the Pacific Northwest, our ferries can be confusing or intimidating. Explore the preceding link to learn about your many options, depending on where you're traveling from. And do take a ferry if you can—the trip can be wonderfully scenic! You can also read more about Seabeck at the Visit Kitsap Peninsula website.

Conference Center Location

The Seabeck Conference Center is a warm and rustic getaway retreat center located at 13395 Seabeck Highway NW, in Seabeck, Washington (see the Bing map, Google map, or MapQuest map). The wooded conference grounds, next to a lagoon and a marina on Hood Canal, feature lovely views across the tidal water of the Olympic Mountains. Many of the facility’s accommodations are historic or relocated heritage houses. Traveling from Seattle to Seabeck takes about 75 minutes (about 70 miles) via Tacoma (no toll northbound; toll to cross the bridge southbound only), nearly two hours if you take the Seattle-to-Bremerton ferry (about 45 driving miles), or 90 minutes if you take the Seattle-to-Bainbridge ferry (about 50 driving miles). For our haiku retreat, we’ll be meeting in the new Pines building (which can hold 100+ people). For more information about the conference center, visit www.seabeck.org. Also, get an overview of the conference center by viewing the Seabeck campus map. If it’s necessary for you to contact the conference center, their phone number is 360-830-5010, but please note that the conference center does not handle our retreat reservations.

Shuttle or Bus

If you need transportation from the Seattle airport to the conference center, please let us know. Or contact www.kitsapairporter.com for shuttle details (phone 360-876-1737 or 800-562-7948). Contact Kitsap Airporter for prices. If you can get a ferry as a walk-on passenger from Seattle to Bainbridge Island, Kitsap Transit offers bus service from Bainbridge to Silverdale (near Seabeck), and we could most likely arrange to have someone pick you up in Silverdale (depending on timing), or you could use Uber of Lyft services. Renting a car might be right for you, but you might not use the car at all for three days at the retreat (if you stay the entire time).

Accommodations

For 2021, we'll be staying in Pines (a brand-new building opening in October of 2021) and in Spruce. Rooms are limited (but all have private bathrooms), and we encourage you to double up if possible (we will pair you with a roommate unless you have your own roommate preference or request a private room). Read more about our accommodations, including photos and layout maps. Pines is also our meeting facility, and Spruce is nearby, and both are a short walk from our dining hall. Previously, we stayed in Reeser House, and it's typical of accommodations at the conference center (see Seabeck photos here), although Pines is much more modern. If necessary for additional overflow, we should be able to arrange other housing facilities on the conference grounds with more beds. Click to see a Seabeck photo gallery and the Seabeck campus map. For alternate accommodations, consider Eaglewood at Seabeck, an Airbnb. Additional hotels and motels are available in nearby Silverdale (about seven miles away). However, we eagerly encourage you to stay at our Seabeck accommodations.

What to Bring

All bed linens and towels are provided (supplied once for the whole weekend). Please bring clothes for both warm and rainy weather. We’ve planned to have perfectly sunny skies, but you never know if you might need an umbrella and a rain jacket for one of our haiku walks. Make sure to bring a flashlight and perhaps a bathrobe (although all rooms have private bathrooms), and perhaps earplugs (if your roommate snores). Please bring haiku for round-robin readings, haiku sheets (see below) or other handouts to share, and items for the silent auction (see below), and perhaps bring an instrument or plan something else for our talent show. Please also bring your haiku notebook and lots of creativity and enthusiasm. And while you’re at it, bring some poet friends, too!

Wi-fi

Free wi-fi service is available all over Seabeck Conference Center facilities, with strongest connections in all the meeting rooms and accommodations.

Meals

All meals are served at the Seabeck Conference Center dining hall, served buffet-style in 2021. Vegetarian and nonvegetarian options (including vegan) are available at every meal, and they have a superb salad bar. Soy-free meals are no longer being offered. If you have additional dietary or allergy concerns, please let us know when you register.

Name Tags

Be creative in making your own name tag. There’s no vote or prize for the best ones, but please do make your own name tag in a creative way. Click to see the first of many photos showing our 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 retreat name tags. Top these!

Silent Auction

If you’re willing to donate items for our silent auction, you’ll help us raise money to offset expenses. Books are welcome, but you don’t need to limit yourself to books (items don’t have to be haiku-related, either, but do make them of interest to fellow haiku poets). As a courtesy, please refrain from donating books by poets who are likely to be present and might be selling those books themselves.

Book Fair

Have haiku books for sale or trade? If so, please bring them to display on our book table. Please price your books and indicate who should be paid for purchases.

Talent Show

In 2012 we added a talent show to our Saturday evening festivities. Participation is optional, but please do think about how you might contribute. Sing a song! Play the piano, or electronic keyboard (both available)! Play another instrument, like a guitar or ukulele! Project some photos! Tell a story! Tell some bad jokes! Or good ones? Read a longer poem! Perform a dramatic scene from a play! Get together with another attendee or two or ten to collaborate in some way, musically or dramatically! Or think of ways to create audience participation. We’ve had all these and many other creative contributions to our very amusing and entertaining talent show, now one of our weekend highlights.

Haiku Sheets

As a special way to commemorate the weekend, we invite you to create a keepsake trifold haiku sheet (or something similar) with a selection of your haiku or senryu, whether recent poems or best-of selections. Please make at least 50 copies (okay, 60) to share with everyone present (we’ll let you know if attendance exceeds 50, which has happened from 2012 onwards, and we had a record number of 83 in 2018). At most retreats we have a special reading of poems from these sheets.

Kukai

A tradition we’ve had at Seabeck since our retreat began is to have an annual kukai, or haiku contest. Participants offer two anonymous haiku on index cards (provided) for a voting process by attendees, with prizes given to the top poems. Participation is optional. We continue this tradition to recognize the way Japanese haiku group meetings are usually conducted, and to heighten our attention to the selection and consideration of poems. The process encourages the writing of new work, the mindful selection of poems to enter, and the careful consideration of everyone's poems for the purpose of voting. When anyone selects your poem, at that moment the poem is said to be “born.” Winning poems are automatically included in the annual Seabeck conference anthology.

Show and Tell

[Not happening in 2021] Remember show-and-tell from grade school? Back by popular demand, we’ll have another haiku show-and-tell session! If you want to participate (it’s optional), bring anything related to haiku to show and describe to the group. You could read a long poem that relates to haiku, or show a favorite book or photograph. A haiga? A doormat with a haiku printed on it? Something odd or amusing? It could be something you purchased or something you made. Use your creativity and imagination to bring something (or several things!) to stimulate our thinking about haiku.

Favorite Haiku Session

[Not happening in 2021] Our "Favorite Haiku" session is always popular. If you want to participate (it's optional), please select a favorite haiku or senryu written by someone else, and come prepared to read that poem and speak appreciatively for two or three minutes about why the poem works for you. You could write out your remarks and read them to the group, or talk extemporaneously—it's up to you! We hope this session will engage everyone, stimulate some critical thinking, and introduce us to new poems, whether classics that are good to be reminded of or highly personal poems that few of us know.

In 2019 we met in the historic Meeting House, shown here [photo by Chrissi Villa], but for 2021 we will meet in the larger new Pines building, under construction until August of 2021.

Retreat Anthology

A big hit for our previous retreats has been the publication of haiku collections to commemorate the weekend, including hand-sewn chapbooks. Our 2009 anthology, Seeing Stars, even won the "Best Anthology" award in 2010 in the Haiku Society of America's Kanterman Book Awards (for books published in 2009). We'll do another new anthology for our next retreat, collecting poems written or shared at the retreat, plus the winners from our annual kukai (haiku contest). One copy is free to each attendee, and is mailed out after the retreat. Click here for a description of our 2009 retreat publications (shown here). To see selected past anthologies, visit Amazon (most of our past anthologies are not listed here, however, because they were limited-edition handmade publications).

Haiga Exhibit

Please bring copies of any haiga or photo-haiga (framed or unframed) that you'd like to display. Please note that you cannot hang them on the walls, but can place them flat on tables or on table easels. For many years, the Haiga Adventure Study Group of Puget Sound Sumi Artists has staged a haiga exhibit in the dining hall and parts of our meeting space, and more recently just in our meeting space. This has been a wonderful way to show haiku and haiga to other conference attendees also present at Seabeck during our weekend retreat.

We often also do a slide show of haiga using a digital projector, so please bring some of your haiga in electronic form on a USB flash drive, CD, or in another format (check our schedule to see if that will happen this year). For more information about haiga, click here.

Arrival

Upon your arrival on Thursday, please register with Tanya McDonald or Michael Dylan Welch in the lobby of the Historic Inn or the Meeting House (see campus map). On or Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, please register at the Pines meeting room. Please arrive by the following times, depending on the day:

Thursday: Please arrive and register at the Historic Inn between 4:00 and 6:00 pm. If you come earlier in the afternoon, you can explore the waterfront or other parts of Seabeck. Dinner starts at 6:00 p.m. At 7:00 p.m. or later, please join us in the Pines building.
Friday: Please arrive and register before dinner, which usually starts at 6:30 p.m. (half an hour later than usual on Friday only, but confirm on the schedule page). Check in with us at Pines if you arrive before dinner, or at dinner time come to the Historic Inn, where we'll be eating at the dining hall.
Saturday: For day visitors, please arrive and register at 9:00 a.m. (Pines). If you can't arrive by 9:00 a.m., please join us when you can.
Sunday: For day visitors, please arrive and register at 9:00 a.m. (Pines).

Questions

If you have questions, please contact the conference organizers or visit the following websites:

Michael Dylan Welch: welchm@aol.com / 206-240-0871 cell or 425-836-8875
Tanya McDonald: haikuchicken@gmail.com / 541-740-2467
Seabeck Conference Center: www.seabeck.org
Seabeck Conference Center map: https://www.seabeck.org/campus-map
Accommodation photos and layout maps: https://www.seabeck.org/housing
Seabeck Weather Report: https://weather.com/weather/today/l/98380:4:US
Seabeck 10-Day Weather Forecast: https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/Seabeck+WA+98380:4:US#/!

Seabeck Haiku Retreat Registration Page

Click here for the 2021 registration page.

See you in Seabeck!

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