Saturday, September 19, 10-11:30am 

Instructor: Lori Lee 

Participants will learn the importance of reframing a victim story with meaning and purpose through sharing and writing about personal experiences. Writers may wish to explore stories they are considering submitting for Umbrella’s Stories of Recovery and Resilience community storytelling event on October 2. 

Clas Fee: FREE; donations gratefully accepted.
Advance registration required.

After 25 years of traveling the state of Utah and enjoying and sharing the natural beauty of the trails and outdoor adventures in guidebooks and magazines, Lori now focuses on the personal narrative. 

She was the host and producer of the Love Your Story podcast, a podcast that ran for eight years and was dedicated to sharing candid interviews and conversations about living our best life stories on purpose. Lori pulled no punches in capturing interviews that shine a light on how we make it through the hard stuff – stress, anxiety, suicide, eating disorders, rape, the death of children, abuse, divorce and the real stuff we have to deal with. But, she also shared interviews with Olympians and incredible athletes, life coaches, therapists, and people who are changing the world. 

She is a published poet, has won awards for her essays, and has a MS in Folklore--her research focusing on the structure and function of personal narrative. She is the author of six books and over 100 magazine and newspaper articles, including her latest, L.I.F.E. – Living Intentional and Fearless Every Day. Her self-help memoir,  The Messy, Divine Business of Becoming is due out in 2028.

Sunday, Sept. 20, 1-2:30pm

Instructor: Lori Lee 

In this writing workshop, 560 Railroad Community Artist Lori Lee will lead participants in creating a lifetime story map that is emotionally accurate rather than geographically accurate in order to discover stories they want to tell. 

Class fee: $15 (10% discount for Catamount Arts members)

After 25 years of traveling the state of Utah and enjoying and sharing the natural beauty of the trails and outdoor adventures in guidebooks and magazines, Lori now focuses on the personal narrative. 

She was the host and producer of the Love Your Story podcast, a podcast that ran for eight years and was dedicated to sharing candid interviews and conversations about living our best life stories on purpose. Lori pulled no punches in capturing interviews that shine a light on how we make it through the hard stuff – stress, anxiety, suicide, eating disorders, rape, the death of children, abuse, divorce and the real stuff we have to deal with. But, she also shared interviews with Olympians and incredible athletes, life coaches, therapists, and people who are changing the world. 

She is a published poet, has won awards for her essays, and has a MS in Folklore--her research focusing on the structure and function of personal narrative. She is the author of six books and over 100 magazine and newspaper articles, including her latest, L.I.F.E. – Living Intentional and Fearless Every Day. Her self-help memoir,  The Messy, Divine Business of Becoming is due out in 2028.

Thursday, Sept. 24, 6pm 

Instructor: Lori Lee 

Poetry is often generated by memories that haunt us, or memories that pull on our hearts, memories that are too precious not to be recorded - poetry is most often created out of emotion. Join us in this poetry workshop as we explore free verse and narrative poetry. Students are encouraged to bring a photo they want to capture in poetry.

Class fee: FREE; donations gratefully accepted.

Advance registration required.

After 25 years of traveling the state of Utah and enjoying and sharing the natural beauty of the trails and outdoor adventures in guidebooks and magazines, Lori now focuses on the personal narrative. 

She was the host and producer of the Love Your Story podcast, a podcast that ran for eight years and was dedicated to sharing candid interviews and conversations about living our best life stories on purpose. Lori pulled no punches in capturing interviews that shine a light on how we make it through the hard stuff – stress, anxiety, suicide, eating disorders, rape, the death of children, abuse, divorce and the real stuff we have to deal with. But, she also shared interviews with Olympians and incredible athletes, life coaches, therapists, and people who are changing the world. 

She is a published poet, has won awards for her essays, and has a MS in Folklore--her research focusing on the structure and function of personal narrative. She is the author of six books and over 100 magazine and newspaper articles, including her latest, L.I.F.E. – Living Intentional and Fearless Every Day. Her self-help memoir,  The Messy, Divine Business of Becoming is due out in 2028.

Thursday, Sept. 24, 6pm 

Instructor: Lori Lee 

Poetry is often generated by memories that haunt us, or memories that pull on our hearts, memories that are too precious not to be recorded - poetry is most often created out of emotion. Join us in this poetry workshop as we explore free verse and narrative poetry. Students are encouraged to bring a photo they want to capture in poetry.

Class fee: FREE; donations gratefully accepted.

Advance registration required.

After 25 years of traveling the state of Utah and enjoying and sharing the natural beauty of the trails and outdoor adventures in guidebooks and magazines, Lori now focuses on the personal narrative. 

She was the host and producer of the Love Your Story podcast, a podcast that ran for eight years and was dedicated to sharing candid interviews and conversations about living our best life stories on purpose. Lori pulled no punches in capturing interviews that shine a light on how we make it through the hard stuff – stress, anxiety, suicide, eating disorders, rape, the death of children, abuse, divorce and the real stuff we have to deal with. But, she also shared interviews with Olympians and incredible athletes, life coaches, therapists, and people who are changing the world. 

She is a published poet, has won awards for her essays, and has a MS in Folklore--her research focusing on the structure and function of personal narrative. She is the author of six books and over 100 magazine and newspaper articles, including her latest, L.I.F.E. – Living Intentional and Fearless Every Day. Her self-help memoir,  The Messy, Divine Business of Becoming is due out in 2028.

Tuesday, Sept. 29, 4:30-6:00pm

Pearl Exhibit Hall, St. Johnsbury History and Heritage Center, 421 Summer Street, St. Johnsbury

Instructor: Lori Lee

FREE; donations gratefully accepted to support the 560 Railroad Community Artist program.

Folklore is the shared culture, beliefs, and stories of a group of people. 560 Railroad Community Artist Lori Lee will lead us in thinking and writing about the things we keep (because they are valued) within our families. Discover your family’s folklore in this guided session, and consider how these things we keep and pass down (family sayingings, recipes, holiday traditions, neighborhood legends, nicknames, etc.) shape our identity and uniqueness. After discovery of our family folklore we will delve into writing about it.

After 25 years of traveling the state of Utah and enjoying and sharing the natural beauty of the trails and outdoor adventures in guidebooks and magazines, Lori now focuses on the personal narrative.

She was the host and producer of the Love Your Story podcast, a podcast that ran for eight years and was dedicated to sharing candid interviews and conversations about living our best life stories on purpose. Lori pulled no punches in capturing interviews that shine a light on how we make it through the hard stuff – stress, anxiety, suicide, eating disorders, rape, the death of children, abuse, divorce and the real stuff we have to deal with. But, she also shared interviews with Olympians and incredible athletes, life coaches, therapists, and people who are changing the world.

She is a published poet, has won awards for her essays, and has a MS in Folklore--her research focusing on the structure and function of personal narrative. She is the author of six books and over 100 magazine and newspaper articles, including her latest, L.I.F.E. – Living Intentional and Fearless Every Day. Her self-help memoir, The Messy, Divine Business of Becoming is due out in 2028.

Supported in part by grants from the Arts and Social Cohesion Fund and NEK Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation.

Saturday, Oct. 3, 10-11:30am

Pearl Exhibit Hall, St. Johnsbury History & Heritage Center, 421 Summer Street, St. Johnsbury

Instructor: Lori Lee 

FREE; donations gratefully accepted to support the 560 Railroad Community Artist program.

In this interactive session, we will explore how oral history preserves community. Community members are invited to join a story circle and to either read or tell something that features St. Johnsbury or their time in the community: for example, an old business, a local mystery, or people who used to live here. Each person will have 5-10 minutes (depending upon attendance) to read or tell a story. Listeners also welcome.

After 25 years of traveling the state of Utah and enjoying and sharing the natural beauty of the trails and outdoor adventures in guidebooks and magazines, Lori now focuses on the personal narrative.

She was the host and producer of the Love Your Story podcast, a podcast that ran for eight years and was dedicated to sharing candid interviews and conversations about living our best life stories on purpose. Lori pulled no punches in capturing interviews that shine a light on how we make it through the hard stuff – stress, anxiety, suicide, eating disorders, rape, the death of children, abuse, divorce and the real stuff we have to deal with. But, she also shared interviews with Olympians and incredible athletes, life coaches, therapists, and people who are changing the world.

She is a published poet, has won awards for her essays, and has a MS in Folklore--her research focusing on the structure and function of personal narrative. She is the author of six books and over 100 magazine and newspaper articles, including her latest, L.I.F.E. – Living Intentional and Fearless Every Day. Her self-help memoir, The Messy, Divine Business of Becoming is due out in 2028.

Supported in part by grants from the Arts and Social Cohesion Fund and NEK Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation.

Tuesday, October 6, 10-11:30am

Good Living Senior Center, Main Street, St. Johnsbury

Instructor: Lori Lee

FREE; donations gratefully accepted to support the 560 Railroad Community Artist program.

This workshop will explore family stories and how they shape identity. You’ll write out a story that has been told repeatedly in your family - a vacation disaster, a grandparent's adventure, a family joke, a cautionary tale - and discuss how your perspective might differ from other family members' perspectives. Led by Catamount Arts 560 Railroad Community Artist Lori Lee.

After 25 years of traveling the state of Utah and enjoying and sharing the natural beauty of the trails and outdoor adventures in guidebooks and magazines, Lori now focuses on the personal narrative.

She was the host and producer of the Love Your Story podcast, a podcast that ran for eight years and was dedicated to sharing candid interviews and conversations about living our best life stories on purpose. Lori pulled no punches in capturing interviews that shine a light on how we make it through the hard stuff – stress, anxiety, suicide, eating disorders, rape, the death of children, abuse, divorce and the real stuff we have to deal with. But, she also shared interviews with Olympians and incredible athletes, life coaches, therapists, and people who are changing the world.

She is a published poet, has won awards for her essays, and has a MS in Folklore--her research focusing on the structure and function of personal narrative. She is the author of six books and over 100 magazine and newspaper articles, including her latest, L.I.F.E. – Living Intentional and Fearless Every Day. Her self-help memoir, The Messy, Divine Business of Becoming is due out in 2028.

Supported in part by grants from the Arts and Social Cohesion Fund and NEK Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation.

8 Steps to Consider if You Want to Start Your Own Podcast

Thursday, Oct. 8, 6:30pm

Instructor: Lori Lee 

560 Railroad Community Artist Lori Lee will introduce the idea that stories don’t only belong in books. She will share examples from her long-running Love Your Story podcast and discuss eight steps to consider if you want to start your own podcast. Participants will write a description of their potential podcast.

Class Fee: FREE; donations gratefully accepted.

Advance registration required.

After 25 years of traveling the state of Utah and enjoying and sharing the natural beauty of the trails and outdoor adventures in guidebooks and magazines, Lori now focuses on the personal narrative. 

She was the host and producer of the Love Your Story podcast, a podcast that ran for eight years and was dedicated to sharing candid interviews and conversations about living our best life stories on purpose. Lori pulled no punches in capturing interviews that shine a light on how we make it through the hard stuff – stress, anxiety, suicide, eating disorders, rape, the death of children, abuse, divorce and the real stuff we have to deal with. But, she also shared interviews with Olympians and incredible athletes, life coaches, therapists, and people who are changing the world. 

She is a published poet, has won awards for her essays, and has a MS in Folklore--her research focusing on the structure and function of personal narrative. She is the author of six books and over 100 magazine and newspaper articles, including her latest, L.I.F.E. – Living Intentional and Fearless Every Day. Her self-help memoir,  The Messy, Divine Business of Becoming is due out in 2028.