Artists & Writers

St. Johnsbury Cultural Life

The cultural life of St. Johnsbury has been greatly influenced by the generosity of the Fairbanks family. The Fairbanks family founded both the Fairbanks Museum and the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, a National Historic Landmark. The Athenaeum houses a valuable art collection and the Fairbanks Museum has a planetarium as well as a plethora of historical collections, including outstanding dioramas.

Artists and writers flock to St. Johnsbury, lured by the tranquility and beautiful vistas in the town and surrounding areas. The Artisan's Guild shop on Railroad Street showcases the artwork of many area artists in its Backroom Gallery. Catamount Arts has several art galleries with exhibits by Vermont artists that change frequently. The late artist Stephen Huneck founded Dog Mountain in St. Johnsbury, which contains the world's only Dog Chapel. Writers from the local area include Reeve Lindbergh, Nathaniel Tripp, Howard Frank Mosher, and Don Bredes. We have compiled a directory of local writers and artists, as well as links to their work.

Can You Write a Novel in a Month?

Join the 170,000 people who are taking up the challenge to write a novel during the month of November! National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is an event designed to get people writing -- as much as possible, for one month. As Danielle DeLisle, local coordinator of NaNoWriMo, says, “This is a way to get your ‘inner editor’ out of the way. Stop second-guessing yourself and just start writing.”

Don Bredes's Newest Book Available Now

Local fiction author Don Bredes offered area mystery lovers a preview of his brand-new book, “The Errand Boy,” here in St. Johnsbury, one day before the national release of the book. Hosted by local bookstore Boxcar & Caboose, Bredes presented his first reading of the book at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum September 21, 2009.

Lots of Books in a Tiny Space

Walk down Main Street in St. Johnsbury and look closely. There’s a store that looks so small, you might not notice it if you’re not paying attention. See the sign? “Secondhand Prose.”
This is St. Johnsbury’s quality used book store, and don’t be put off by its size. It’s chock-full of books, audios, videos, and record albums, with enough variety to appeal to everyone.

St. Johnsbury Athenaeum’s Online Resources

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A world of information is literally at our fingertips, thanks to the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum's extensive online resources. Although visiting the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum is always a lovely experience -- chatting with the knowledgeable librarians, enjoying the magnificent John Davis Hatch III-designed building -- sometimes you want the information right at your own desk. And the Athenaeum has a multitude of resources for you to use without leaving the comfort of your own computer!

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