Storytellers
Sanctuary
Four days devoted to writing, ritual, and witness in Cape May, NJ
Bring your writing practice to an old Victorian near the sea, and let it move through four days of prompts, co-writing, reiki-infused meditation, shared meals, and witness. Let it wander with you - onto the porch, down quiet streets, through the seaside town of Cape May, out toward the ocean. Let it be held in solitude, in co-writing groups, and in compassionate feedback circles. Designed for those working on a dedicated writing project, and those ready to write within a warm, creative community.
Cape May, NJ
November 12-15
Limited to 7 spots
Guided by Melissa Delizia
A writing retreat guided by rhythm and ritual
Over four days together, we will treat writing like the devotion it is: something we return to again and again, not just once in a blue moon. This is for you whether you're already deep in a project and need four uninterrupted days to move it forward, you've been meaning to start a writing project and haven't made the time, or you simply want to write dedicatedly inside a warm, creative community.
We'll gather not as polished writers seeking critique, or as distinguished poets and authors, but as beautiful, flawed humans with stories to tell. We'll center collaboration and community over performance, lay our perfectionism at the door, and come in ready to write, in all its messy glory.
Our days will follow a rhythm rather than a schedule. We’ll gather around the writing work 3 times each day, meeting it with ceremony, and sharing it in good company. We’ll play with writing prompts, experience reiki-infused meditations, share meals, let conversation drift, and let all of it inform the work.
And in between, we will write as the work asks: we’ll hold it in our hearts in solitude - from the bedrooms, to the beach, to quiet neighborhood nooks. We’ll co-write silently together. We’ll seek feedback in warm, non-judgemental community. By the time we close, we’ll each have a writing rhythm to take home, and words that have been lovingly witnessed and celebrated by new, forever-community.
Our Writing Sanctuary
We’ll be staying in a meticulously restored 1800s Victorian home that perfectly embodies the spirit of Cape May. The house features period details, high ceilings, and the charm of a home that has held over a century of stories.
You will have your own private bedroom, and we'll gather in the spacious shared spaces throughout the house. From the formal dining room where we'll share our meals to the cozy parlor and wrap-around porch for evening conversations.
All of it in Cape May, NJ - one of America's most supernatural, storied cities, with spirits lingering in nearly every Victorian home and historic hotel. We may even take an (optional) ghost tour through the town’s most haunted destinations and learn about its history of fires, drownings, and Civil War-era drama.
*Please note that the bedrooms are all on the second & third floors with access via stairs, only.
Come treat your writing like the devotion it is. 4 days. 7 hearts. A writing rhythm to take home.
Cape May, NJ
November 12-15
Guided by Melissa Delizia
Spots are held on a first come, first serve basis.
Price includes all meals and lodging.
Please select the payment option that suits you best.
Your guide
Melissa Delizia
Melissa Delizia, MSW, LSW, DSW (she/they) is a death doula, educator, professional coach and social worker whose work lives at the intersection of sacred care, transformative education, and social justice. With a Doctorate in Social Work and certifications in grief companionship, deathcare, and sacred ceremony, Melissa brings both clinical insight and spiritual depth to their offerings.
Their practice is rooted in ancestral connection, mediumship, and energy work, with a focus on holding space for queer and trans individuals navigating death, dying, and grief. Melissa approaches this work with reverence, tending to the liminal with embodied presence and a belief in the healing power of collective care and ritual.
As an educator and adjunct professor, they are dedicated to reshaping how death is taught and understood—centering marginalized experiences, challenging systems of harm, and cultivating spaces where grief and identity are honored in all their complexity. Whether teaching or learning, Melissa holds a deep commitment to equitable deathwork and heart-centered education.