Sandra Jackson-Opoku is an award-winning writer, author of the novels The River Where Blood is Born and Hot Johnny and the Women Who Love Him. She co-edited the anthology, Revise the Psalm: Work Celebrating the Work of Gwendolyn Brooks. An excerpt of her Dentro la Terra project was published in Ocotillo Review. Recent work appears in Both Sides: Stories from the Border, the Anthology of Appalachian Writers, storySouth, Another Chicago Magazine, and New Daughters of Africa.
Sandra Jackson-Opoku shares about her stay at Dentro La Terra in 2019:
I was honored to be part of the inaugural cohort during Dentro la Terra’s opening year. My interest in applying was that year’s focus on African themes. My novel-in-progress, God’s Gift to the Natives, examines culture, identity and migration in the African Diaspora. It is a sprawling, multiple-voiced semi-historical saga that journeys to Atlantic islands, shores, bays, seas and inlets of African, European, US and Caribbean settings. One section is set on San Domino island in the Adriatic Isole Tremiti, which I was able to visit during my retreat. Another character spends part of her childhood with an Italian-Somali father who works with the carabinieri, the Italian military police. Three weeks in the historic town of Arielli, in the Abruzzo region of Southern Italy gave me an opportunity to write, research and live some of these experiences. With the help of Donato Scioletti, a local resident and friend of Dentro la Terra, I was able to interview a carabiniere in a nearby town and tour nearby communes and sites of the region. Dentro la Terra is more of an artist’s retreat than a residency. I’ve done both, and there’s a distinction between the two. Residencies tend to accommodate more than one artist at a time, and generally include meals. Retreats are often designed for a single artist and board is not usually included. Not everyone is cut out for a solo retreat. Some may find the limited social interaction to be lonely and isolating. On the other hand, a group residency may carry certain social obligations. You are never pressured to interact, but most people find themselves lingering over long dinner conversations or attending artist studios and readings. A solo retreat like Dentro la Terra offers very few distractions. I spent most of my time concentrating deeply on my work, researching and revising. I was able to polish three chapters from my novel in progress and submit them to several literary competitions. When I tired of my own company, I’d take a short walk to the town square for a drink or snack at the local bistro. The apartment was spacious and well-furnished with a lovely piazza and breathtaking views from every room. A visit during the summer allowed me to enjoy the bright, sunny weather. Il buon pasti, the delectable food was is indescribably fresh. Not farmer’s market fresh, but directly from Signora Anastasia Dell’Arciprete’s artisanal farm right to my table. She was also able to accommodate several dietary restrictions, which I greatly appreciated. There were mercifully few downsides to the experience. Windows opened up to a bella vista but also let in the mosquitoes at night. About a week into my retreat, work began on a road downhill from the property. The intermittent noise sometimes drove me away from the apartment; I’d take my laptop downstairs to work at the bistro. English isn’t widely spoken in these environs and the Italian lessons I planned never materialized. In retrospect, I should have taken time to make it happen. Communication was sometimes a challenge, though I picked up a phrase here and there. I generally made myself understood in a mishmash of Duo Lingo, English, French, Spanish and Latin from my pre-Vatican II Catholic education. Except for a community engagement project at a Refugee Center in Cerro, I didn’t often venture far from Arielli. When I did so, transportation would have to be arranged. Often I was able to get a lift from Donato or one of the Dell’Arciprete family members. Oftentimes travel outside of Arielli meant a long bus ride. I wanted to use my time for working rather than meal preparation, but my budget would only allow for for meal catering or a car rental. I opted for the meals and I wasn’t disappointed. On the whole I found it blissful and inspiring to work “on the ground” at Dentro la Terra. It’s an experience I was glad to have, and one that I won’t easily forget.