Grace Loh Prasad

Grace Loh Prasad was born in Taiwan and raised in New Jersey and Hong Kong before settling in the San Francisco Bay Area. Grace received her MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College and is an alumna of Tin House and VONA. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, Longreads, Artsy, Hyperallergic, Catapult, Jellyfish Review, KHÔRA, and elsewhere. Grace is a member of The Writers Grotto and Seventeen Syllables, an AAPI writers collective. Her memoir manuscript is entitled The Translator’s Daughter (www.translatorsdaughter.com). Follow her on Twitter @GraceLP.


Did the retreat meet your expectations?

Yes, I would even say it exceeded my expectations.

What was the most unexpected part of your stay?
The solitude. Even though the guest room is next to Moshin’s tasting room, it never got too loud or crowded. It was truly the perfect environment to work in—calm and welcoming and surrounded by nature.

What was the most enjoyable aspect of your retreat?
I thought the guest room was perfect—it was comfortable, air conditioned, and had everything I needed so that I could work uninterrupted for long stretches of time. I also enjoyed being able to walk around the vineyards at my leisure. Even though I was only there for a week, I truly felt at home and was sad when I left. I felt a level of peace that is almost impossible to attain at home, which allowed me to clear my head and really focus on writing.

Did the vineyard setting inspire you and/or your writing? In what ways?
The quiet setting away from town was very conducive (and the wine was helpful too!) For a writing retreat it’s better to be in an environment that’s not too stimulating, because the focus should be inward instead of outward.

What did you work on during the retreat?

I worked on an essay that I’ve been trying to write, on and off, for 20 years. I’ve started it half a dozen times and saved bits and pieces and multiple versions over the years. While I was at Moshin, I did an inventory of all of the material and finally organized it into one master document, solidified my themes, and wrote several new sections. My hope is that this will be the final, titular essay of my memoir The Translator’s Daughter. This is the essay that will tie everything together. I feel like I’ve been training my whole life to write this essay and it is finally starting to take shape.

What other activities did you do during the retreat?
I explored Healdsburg, Sebastopol, and Guerneville—all of them are charming. On my second-to-last day I drove out to Duncan’s Mills for brunch which was picture-perfect, and then to Jenner and Highway 1. I pulled over a few times to take pictures of the gorgeous scenery. Normally I don’t like driving, but during my retreat I found it quite relaxing and enjoyable because of the incredible views of vineyards and the Russian River, and there was no traffic and no schedule to make me feel rushed.

Did you participate in any activities or events arranged by the host winery?

There was a private party one night to welcome the interns and celebrate the beginning of the harvest. I met Rick and Amber Moshin and other members of the team along with some of their good friends and neighbors who came to the dinner. Everyone was super friendly and welcoming.

Any tips or advice you think might be helpful for future residency applicants?
Stock the fridge to minimize having to go out for food.

Can you sum up your experience in eight to ten words?
Beautiful scenery and comfortable solitude create the perfect conditions to write.

Any other comments, impressions, and surprises about the retreat you wish to convey?
I’m recommending this to all my writer friends—this retreat was such a gift. I would love to go back.