Every artist, writer and scholar longs for a place of refuge, an island dedicated to calm and reflection, an oasis, where they can work uninterrupted by the logistics of everyday life, inspired by the natural eloquence of their surroundings and invigorated once again by the creative charge and pure joy of what it is they love to do. The Whiteley Center is such a place, a gift to everyone who visits, whether for a few days or a few months. In its ten years, I’m guessing it has become a treasure to everyone who has spent time there and a home away from home for the soul of the poet, the artist and the explorer in us all. May it endure, and may its legacy enrich the hearts and minds of its fortunate guests and their audiences, readers and students…
—Dan Duling, Playwright