From the Farmhouse Table: June 2026
Witnessing Generosity
It is through the generosity of our donors, alumnae, community partners, and our team that we can do the necessary work of authoring change.
The person who witnesses and supports this generosity the most is our devoted Development Coordinator, Kerry Holland. Kerry has been with Hedgebrook for six and a half years and knows what it takes to offer and receive generosity. Here is a peek at who she is and what she brings.
Hedgebrook: What has been your favorite project to work on at Hedgebrook? Why?
Kerry: I’ve always enjoyed Hedgebrook’s events, especially our annual fundraiser, Equivox, and also Open House. Though they’re very different, in both cases there are lot of disparate planning pieces. It’s fun to see everything come together into an event that showcases our brilliant alumnae or our beautiful land. The events are a lot of work, but always fun partly because the whole team is involved and I get to work more closely with people outside of the office. Our events are a genuine team effort and since each person is both dependable and good in their role, we have trust that each piece will be held and done beautifully. I’m proud to work at Hedgebrook, and it’s gratifying to show the world what we do to support the writing of the brilliant women who come for residencies.
In a more everyday way, what I appreciate most about my job is that I’m witness to the generosity of people every day–literally every day. Yes, it’s exciting when a large gift comes in. But I am genuinely moved every month when I see that Cedar Deep Circle gift of $6. Not $5. Not $10. This is a person who seems to have really thought, “I don’t have much but this is important; what can I give to support this work?” More than $5. She didn’t round down!
Hedgebrook: What is the most memorable interaction you’ve had with a writer on the land?
Kerry: A small but very satisfying part of my job involves implementing the details of our fellowship program. Each fellowship has its own criteria, and once a fellow is chosen, I’m so incredibly fortunate to be the one who shares the news with the writer. The validation of being chosen as well as the stipend to fellows can be profoundly impactful. There was one writer at Hedgebrook in 2025, Caroline Catlin, whom I met in person to give the news that she’d been chosen for the Rona Jaffe Hedgebrook Fellowship (you'll hear about our 2026 Fellow shortly). It was a beautiful day and we sat outside the Farmhouse at the picnic table. She was deeply moved. And when she told me about her project (a memoir), we were both stunned to find that there was an unusual and painful place of overlap in our lives. It was one of those rare moments of unexpected, deep connection that we stretched to an hour-long conversation. Our writers are digging deep, and in her case, she was exploring emotional territory that’s foreign to many people but that I know well. Many writers see their work as a means of healing and growth not just for themselves, but for their readers. I got to experience that in the most personal, unexpected way with Catlin. It’s an hour that will stay with me forever.
Hedgebrook: What/who has impacted you the most?
Kerry: My kids are the people who have impacted me most. Parenting is such a stretch, always. Knowing that I need to be constantly striving to be the best and ever-changing version of who they need, to adjust to them changing, sometimes from one minute to the next, to uncover in myself energy and strength, calm and creativity, even when it feels out of reach. Most of us don’t know what we’re capable of; for me, it’s my kids who have pushed those limits in ways that nothing or no one else does. They’re wonderful teachers.
Hedgebrook: What part of your work feels most meaningful right now?
Kerry: There’s that “two steps forward and one step back” adage about progress. This moment in history is a step back (understatement!) for women, for people of color, for people who aren’t straight, for anyone who doesn’t identify as fitting into the narrow band of “acceptable” to the power brokers of our world. I’m grateful to put my life energy into a meaningful and proven way to promote positive change, especially right now. It sounds corny; it’s also true.
Hedgebrook: Who is your favorite author/What is your favorite book?
Kerry: May I choose two? Ann Patchett is a novelist I love, or at least an author whose books I never pass up and can’t put down. My favorite book of hers, though, is non-fiction; Truth and Beauty: a Friendship is the heartbreaking memoir of her friendship with poet Lucy Grealy. Read it! All that said, it was Rumi who first came to me when I read the question. I’m partial to translations of his poems by Coleman Barks. I’m drawn to pretty much anything that cracks my heart further open, and Rumi has done that for me countless times.
Hedgebrook: What’s a fun fact about you that may surprise people?
Kerry: I love adrenaline! I love the biggest rapids in a river, giant roller coasters, jumping out of airplanes, standing at the very edge of a cliff. I always want more of an experience like that, but I’m pretty sure I come across as being relatively staid.
Gratitude to Kerry and all that she brings to Hedgebrook.
Stay tuned next month for another staff feature.