Lee was a Tucson garbageman when, with less than a day to prepare, he found himself in front of a composition class at the University of Arizona. That summer, he was invited to the inaugural Southern Arizona Writing Project, became a research assistant for SAWP, and met many who were reimagining the teaching of writing. He went on to be awarded for teaching excellence.
 
In search of community, romance, a spiritual path, a subpar round-all while gathering novel material-he traveled extensively, taking on jobs of all sorts, but always returning to teaching, writing, and golf.
 
Lee is author of Tales of the Conspiracy Cafe: Barcelona (movie rights belong to Rodney Vance) and Sticky Karma: Meditations on Meaning and Madness in the Time of COVID (Latah Books)