06/18/2026
In April–May, we hosted writer Itto Outini in our arts retreat house. Read below about her stay in New York Mills, Minnesota.
"This spring, I had the pleasure of spending five weeks in New York Mills, Minnesota, along with my husband, as visiting writers hosted by the Cultural Center. I don’t apply to many residencies these days because the time and energy spent on travel and logistics tends to offset the benefits, but from the get-go, I had a good feeling about New York Mills—a good feeling that has since been borne out.
For starters, the Cultural Center makes clear that when evaluating candidates, the most important factor is artistic merit. Given the ongoing fixation with identity politics that’s swamped the world of arts and letters, I found this immensely refreshing. I’m an immigrant, I even write about immigration, but I never want my work to be supported because of this status. I want my work to be supported because it’s good, and interesting, and true. The Cultural Center’s willingness to be discerning in this manner made the program instantly appealing to me.
Likewise with the location. Since coming to America from Morocco in 2017, I’ve been warned many times to avoid the small towns, but I’ve learned to take these warnings with a grain of salt. In Missouri, in New Hampshire, in Iowa, and in Arkansas, I’ve found smalltown Americans to be the warmest, most welcoming people anyone could hope to meet anywhere in the world. New York Mills is no exception. Somehow, it seems to me, the locals have managed to stay grounded and connected with one another despite all the larger societal forces pulling communities apart. This grounded connectedness enables them to welcome strangers with open arms.
While in Minnesota, my husband and I drafted four new stories for a collection-in-progress about immigrants, expats, foreigners, and other displaced persons, There Is No Home, but You Can’t Stay Here (the title story of which can be read online in Modern Literature). Thanks to the progress supported by the New York Mills Cultural Center, we’re on track to finish this manuscript by the end of 2027.
We also host a podcast about literature and the arts, Let’s Have a Renaissance, where we’re bringing together writers, artists, musicians, performers, and other creative professionals to have conversations about how to sustain a career in the arts. In addition to the writing we got done, we recorded forty episodes of the podcast while in Minnesota and edited over a dozen.
New York Mills is a special place, and the folks at the Cultural Center are doing a lot right. I’m proud to be associated with an organization committed to supporting good work, no matter who creates it. Thank you to everyone making this possible. Keep it up!"
Thanks, Itto, for the kind words! We’re grateful to have supported her residency and the work developed during her time here.
