Who We Are
A diverse board of directors and a new vision for a creative community
In 2016, I held my first workshop at the Storied Imaginarium. I had just started my MFA in Creative Writing at Stonecoast (The University of Southern Maine), and I needed a way to create a small income stream that wouldn’t interfere with my studies. I decided to combine my love of fairy tale and myth in a generative writing format. To add to the flavor and the content, I paired fairy tales with scientific and cultural concepts. For instance, the Grimm Brothers’ “Hansel and Gretel” seemed a natural fit with the subject of epigenetic memory and Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Nightingale” felt like a perfect fit with an deep dive into the history of automatons.
These workshops evolved and grew over time, and I was blessed to have a solid and unwavering core group of writers who returned time and again to take my workshops. Best of all, these writers were publishing—and they were publishing widely! Stories that started as seeds were placing in top-tier magazines and award-winning anthologies. These writers have published across genres in various forms including short fiction, hybrid, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Some have even gone on to use workshop prompts to create novellas, novels, poetry chapbooks, and memoirs.
Through word of mouth, the Storied Imaginarium community continued to steadily grow. Often, the workshop schedule would fill up before I could announce the newest offering. A good problem to have! And behind the scenes, I was quietly offering a scholarship or two each year to writers who wouldn’t have been able to take the workshop otherwise. As someone who has struggled with financial hardship for most of my life, I strongly believe in programs that offer access to education for underserved and underprivileged populations. This is, and always has been, one of the guiding principles in my personal philosophy as both a teacher and a mentor.
Since that first workshop eight years ago, I’ve had the privilege to work with some of the best writers I know. I have critiqued and commented on thousands of stories and poems. And, since I have such a large cohort of repeat participants, I have a solid stance on offering new material for each workshop. In fact, I now have more than 80 modules in my library from past coursework!
Last year, I realized I was at the point where I needed to make some big decisions when it came to the future of Storied Imaginarium. I’ve always envisioned it being bigger, as being a place that could help more writers than I can personally support in the small cohorts prescribed by my workshop format. I wanted to have more available opportunities, a wider selection of courses, and more scholarships to offer. I wanted to expand into publishing and give back to the community. But these lofty goals were not something I could do alone, and I knew it.
As 2023 came to a close, I realized that I’d never stop waiting for the “right time” to come along. The only way forward was to take a leap of faith. So, at the beginning of this year, I created a non-profit corporation and began the slow work of rebuilding Storied Imaginarium as a place that can develop and grow in its own right. I joined forces with my husband, an educator himself, and my close friends Jennifer and Jaylyn Collier, who added their expertise (an attorney and a security specialist, respectfully) to the team. We drafted articles, created a mission statement, and looked at the ways we could realize the dream of taking Storied Imaginarium to the next level. This summer, the last piece fell into place when we were granted 501(c)(3) status by the IRS. We were finally able to move forward.
This autumn, instead of offering my traditional, bi-annual seasonal workshop, Storied Imaginarium will be working to set up the foundation for a new way of approaching the generative workshop model. We will also be offering stand-alone classes (both asynchronous and synchronous), courses by special guests, and a series of salons and seminars. I will also be slowly adding access to my library of modules (updated and revised), which were written for past workshops.
There are other plans in the works: articles on the craft of writing, explorations into public domain source material, the publication of a Storied Imaginarium anthology (formal announcement coming soon), scheduled write-ins and extra content for paid supporters, and the development of curriculum for at-risk youth (the first arm of our mission statement).
And so, to kick things off, please join me in welcoming the Storied Imaginarium’s official Board of Directors. I also want to thank all of you who are reading this for your support and kindness. I wouldn’t be able to take this (HUGE!) step without you! — Carina
PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR
Carina Bissett is a writer, poet, and educator working primarily in the fields of dark fantasy and fabulism. Her debut collection Dead Girl, Driving and Other Devastations was released by Trepidatio Publishing in 2024. Her short fiction and poetry have been published in multiple journals and anthologies including Weird Tales, Fantasy Magazine, The Dark, Into the Forest, Upon a Twice Time, Bitter Distillations: An Anthology of Poisonous Tales, Arterial Bloom, and the HWA Poetry Showcase Vol. V, VI, VIII, IX, and X. Her nonfiction has been published in several venues including Apex Magazine, Writing Poetry in the Dark, and The Evolution of Horror in the 21st Century and Beyond. She has also written stories set in shared worlds for RPGs at Green Ronin Publishing and Onyx Path Publishing. In addition to writing, she has edited several projects; the most recent is in the role as co-editor of STORYTELLER: A Tanith Lee Tribute Anthology. She is also the co-publisher, with Nike Sulway, of the literary, fairy-tale journal The Orange & Bee.
As an educator, Carina has taught at Pikes Peak State College, Glendale Community College, and Arizona State University. She also participated in the Colorado Writing Project and works with educators to develop writing instruction in college and secondary school classrooms. She currently offers workshops focused on story generation at the Storied Imaginarium. Her fiction has been nominated for the Sundress Publications Best of the Net Award and was a finalist for the Ron L. Hubbard Writers of the Future Awards. Her poetry has been nominated for the Rhysling Award, the Pushcart Prize, and the Sundress Publications Best of the Net Award. Her nonfiction was a finalist for the Bram Stoker Awards®. In her editorial capacity, she’s received recognition as a co-editor for Shadow Atlas: Dark Landscapes of the Americas, which won the 2022 Colorado Book Award (Anthology) and placed as a finalist at the 2022 International Book Awards (Fiction: Anthologies).
VICE PRESIDENT
Jennifer Collier graduated with honors from University of Hawaii with a B.A. in Sociology with a Minor in Political Science. She went on to Washburn University School of Law where she earned her Juris Doctor. She is a member of the Colorado State Bar and the Montana State Bar.
She has practiced law in a variety of fields, including Corporate Law, Property Law, Family Law, Labor and Employment Law, Aviation Law, and Local Government Law. She began her career in Colorado as a Guardian ad Litem and Counsel for Youth. She is currently practicing Civil Defense Law with a focus on insurance litigation.
Jennifer’s passions include empowering youth, supporting military members and their families, and enriching impoverished communities. At the core of her passions is the belief that, “Every voice has immeasurable value.” In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys traveling, reading, dancing, pampering her rescue dog, and spending time with her family.
TREASURER
Richard Lorenzen is an educator, mentor, and artist living in Colorado Springs. He worked in public education for more than 30 years, teaching everything from agriculture to industrial arts. Over the last decade of his career, Richard helped teenagers achieve their dreams and realize their artistic visions in the medium of steel. As a master in his field, he’s also worked diligently to create a safe space for his fellow educators as both a mentor and a union representative. He holds a B.A. in Agriculture from Iowa State and a M.S. in Science in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Governor's University.
At the end of the 2023-2024 school year, Richard retired from public education and turned his attention to his artwork at Lorenzen Customs. Richard’s art has been shown widely at Colorado venues including Manitou Arts Center, Goat Patch Brewing, and Fossil Brewing. When he’s not creating new designs, Richard spends his time on his bike, exploring nature and sampling craft beer.
SECRETARY
Jaylyn Collier served 21 years in the U.S. Army before retiring. When he began his career, he worked in communications but quickly transitioned into working as a military policeman. Throughout his career, he gained expertise in industrial and personnel security. Since retiring, he has pursued his education and remained in the security field. He will be graduating from the University of Arizona Global Campus with a B.A. in Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
Jaylyn’s military career took him all over the world. Not only has he served in Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq, but also throughout Southeast Asia and Europe. His favorite service locations were Germany and Singapore. Since retiring he has worked in corporate security. His first role outside of the military was as a Facility Security Officer and is currently working as a Security Account and Site Manager.
Jaylyn’s passions include nature preservation, supporting fellow military-retirees, and combatting violence against women. In his spare time, he enjoys making and eating good food, spending time in untouched nature, wood-working, and bee-keeping.