The Buzz
ON THE BAY
By Abbie Lahmers
Old House, New Stories
In the same halls and quiet offices that over two centuries have seen Hollywood actors, presidents, and famous writers pass through, many flocking salons and poetry readings – now local wordsmiths are invited to apply for a unique residency to reflect on the historic home’s lineage. Not all glamorous, Bristol’s Linden Place also carries a sordid past, built in 1810 by a slave trader. Devised by local author and editor Leigh Medeiros, the April daytime-only residency
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The Bay • March 2022
invites writers to spend time in the mansion, unpack its often contradictory threads, and create anew. “I’ve been in the arts for nearly 30 years, so I know from experience that artists, particularly storytellers, have a special place in culture,” says Medeiros. “They make connections between things that most people cannot see. They can communicate new ideas in ways that expand consciousness and promote healing. Linden Place – like
America – has a complicated history. I think the residency is a great way to support writers while fostering creative perspectives on that history.” With Linden Place’s aim of “enhancing the artistic, cultural, and educational life of the community,” eight residents will be selected to carve out time and space to work amongst the home’s period furniture, sculptures, and archival collections, beginning a new piece that engages with the
Photos by Sabrina Scolari (L) and Leigh Medeiros (R) courtesy of Linden Place
Linden Place to host eight writers of wide-ranging genres to explore the home’s complicated history
