Soapstone Hiring New Director--Apps Accepted Jan 5, '09- June 15, '09

Soapstone will be hiring a new director to start June 15, 2008

This is a part-time job, approximately 60 hours a month. Applications will be accepted from January 5, 2009 through Feb. 15; we’re hoping to make a hiring decision by March 15, with the job beginning June 15, 2009. We’re looking for someone with the requisite set of skills who is committed to Soapstone’s goals of supporting women writers and the Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington’s literary community.

After fourteen years as director Ruth Gundle has decided that the time is right to pass the mantle. This is a part-time job, approximately 60 hours a month. Applications will be accepted from January 5, 2009 through Feb. 15, 2009; we hope to have a hiring decision made by March 15, 2009 with the job beginning June 15, 2009. We’re looking for someone with the requisite set of skills who is committed to Soapstone’s goals of supporting women writers and the Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington literary community. To download the job announcementclick here. To download the job description click here.


The people and the organization:

Soapstone is unique among writing retreats in that it is truly a grassroots organization. Donors and volunteers came together to create it and new supporters continually step forward to help sustain it.

Judith Barrington and Ruth Gundle dreamed up the project in 1990 (and were honored with the Stuart H. Holbrook Award from Literary Arts for this and other work). Ursula K. Le Guin served as the first president. Judith Barrington was the volunteer director from 1992 until 1995. Ruth Gundle has been Soapstone’s part-time director since 1995.

Soapstone, Inc. became a nonprofit organization in 1992 and purchased the property in 1993. After five years of fundraising and construction we held a festive opening celebration in the summer of 1998 for over a hundred well-wishers. The first residents arrived that fall.

In 2006 Willamette Writers honored Soapstone with their Humanitarian Award.

Soapstone performs a key service for the Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington writing community by sending out email community announcements of events, readings, workshops, grant opportunities, lectures and other writing-related news to over 1000 people weekly.