lystn

For this week's podcast I sat down and spoke very freely and honestly with my dear friend and acclaimed Louisville-based poet Lorie Harris. Her inspirational writings, as expressed in her works which include Colors of Character and Just Beyond the Sunrise, are not only an outlet to express and share her own difficult life experiences but are essentially journals to motivate others to maintain their strength and creativity while finding their own outlets during life's messier moments. Lorie started writing at the age of 11 as an outlet and source of freedom for all she was going through at the time. Drawn to poetry, she would lose herself in the rhythm of rhyme. Now an avowed advocate for domestic violence, as she herself is a survivor of mental, physical and sexual abuse, Lorie’s goal for people reading her poetry is for them to find healing in their souls and peace of mind. By putting pen to paper and sharing her work, she wants to encourage others and have them look at her poems - as she does - as a form of artwork; little short stories painted in words of rhyme. Lorie's recollections of mental, physical, and sexual abuse are heart-wrenching. However, listening to her describe how her faith pulled her through the darkest of times gives me hope that her recollections/writings will help those in need find strength and seek help if they are experiencing the same. Her poetry books are simultaneously beautiful and inspiring, and my hope is that listening to this week's podcast and reading her books will be healing to your own soul.