‘Catalyst Sessions’ recap: Lisa Kirchner

She’s Queen of the St. Petersburg storytellers, but author, journalist and filmmaker Lisa Kirchner said that getting up in front of people, and talking through a true story – no matter how scintillating, shocking or funny – did not always come naturally to her.

However, the host of the bi-monthly True Stories series, in which people are invited to tell a five-minute story in front of a group, said there are many benefits to working through your inevitable lame years.

“I love escaping into other people’ stories,” Kirchner said Tuesday on The Catalyst Sessions. “It’s a great excuse to tell my own stories. And as a writer, there is nothing that sparks creative juices like storytelling. At least for me.”

True Stories, part of Keep St. Pete Lit, continues today (Wednesday, July 8) with the latest in a COVID-friendly string of virtual editions. All details are available here.

The interview covered a wide range of subjects, including the events that led to Kirchner’s acclaimed 2014 memoir, Hello American Lady Creature: What I Learned as a Woman in Qatar – along with cults, yoga, love, death, marriage, divorce, the Home Shopping Network and a bunch of other stuff.

Today on The Catalyst Sessions: The return of musician/composer Jeremy Douglass!

Weeknights at 7 on the Catalyst Facebook page. All episodes are archived on our YouTube page.