Testimonials
A collection of notes from our lovely patrons about their experience at Prospect Street.
Prospect Street has struck a chord with writers. Some examples of their observations.
“Prospect Street is a masterwork of dedication and purpose, situated in the ideal locale to offer a true four-seasons destination that combines natural beauty, a rich historic tradition, and the perfect vibe. Prospect Street is the right place in the right town and the right time. Any creative person will find immediate community, inspiration, and solidarity here, culminating in a reluctance to leave and an eagerness to return.”
Sean Murphy, Virginia: Founding Director of 1455
“Though I’ve never stayed at the Prospect Street Writers House, I know V. Hansmann and his daughter, Ali, and they are wonderfully warm and intelligent hosts, devoted to fostering camaraderie among writers. The house itself has been renovated to state-of-the-art magnificence, the gardens are inspirational, the food excellent, all in a village with proximity to forest walks and a beautiful lake. I highly recommend the whole shebang, and if you are disappointed, you’ll get an extra dessert!”
Mary Ruefle, Vermont: Vermont State Poet Laureate
“If you’re looking for a place to call your writing home away from home, Prospect Street Writers House is that place. Here you will find the perfect blend of community and solitude in a sublime setting. You will be comfortable, well-fed, and creatively nourished in this house, and you’ll want to return again and again.”
Kim Dana Kupperman, New York: Series Editor, Best American Essays
“Prospect Street offers a retreat experience that taps into every writer’s fantasy: a quiet sanctuary of time and (beautifully curated) space balanced with the most delicious dinners and opportunities to connect with others. All of this right on the doorstep of enchanting Bennington College with views of the stunning Green Mountains just steps away. It was quite literally a haven I did not want to leave.”
Joy Baglio, Massachusetts: Founder of Pioneer Valley Writers’ Workshop
“Come to Prospect St. if you want a writing residency completely devoid of distractions. Come to Prospect St. if you’re looking for really amazing home-cooked food. Come to Prospect St. if you want to visit a town with hiking trails so beautiful they could be featured in a wall calendar of New England. Come to Prospect St. if you’re looking for kindness … and for thermal bathroom floors and a comfortable bed. Most importantly, come to Prospect St. if you want a writing residency where you can think and read and write.”
James Davis May, Georgia: Director of Mercer University’s creative writing program
“Prospect Street Writers House is a sanctuary for creativity, a comfortable, light-filled cloister that fosters art and catalyzes the no-nonsense task of sitting still and embracing the hard (and invariably rewarding) work of writing.”
Rolf Potts, Kansas: Vagabonding
“A few words about a place of retreat and delight aka Prospect Street Writers House. Well, it’s convivial. The writer gets their perfect monk cell of a room, but there are all these places to convene—the library, the dining hall, the gardens. Oh, the gardens when I was there in July were in full fairyland blossoms bloom. Down the street is the house where Shirley Jackson wrote “The Lottery.” V. Hansmann has made a gift to the literary community by developing this new place to think, write, revise, and complete your poem or essay or short story, hopefully with no stones thrown.”
Patricia Spears Jones, New York: New York State Poet Laureate
