Join us for a discussion of craft and rural renewal with Tom Bodett, founder and woodworker in chief at HatchSpace, a community woodworking shop in downtown Brattleboro, Vermont. We’ll explore the inspiration for spaces like HatchSpace and the ways they can be a platform for revitalization in rural communities. Tom will share his personal woodworking journey and the ways HatchSpace has grown into a vital and inclusive community resource for connection, learning, and economic development.

Tom Bodett made his national broadcasting debut in 1984 on NPR’s evening news program All Things Considered. He has been the brand spokesman for the Motel 6 lodging chain for 35 years. The author of 7 books and numerous audio publications, his work has appeared in a wide variety of national newspapers and periodicals. He is a regular panelist on NPR’s satirical weekend news quiz Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me, and a frequent performer for The Moth storytelling series.

Tom grew up in Sturgis, Michigan then went to Alaska in 1976 where he lived for 23 years. He now lives in the middle of a hay field in Dummerston, VT where he has served on the local Selectboard, raises kids, makes things out of wood, and explores the tipping point of his tractor. In October of 2018 Tom Bodett co-founded the HatchSpace community workshop in Brattleboro, Vermont. He was never heard from again.