See a photo of Sarah, her bio, Part 1 of this Q&APart 2. and Part 3.

Q&A with Sarah White (Question 5):

Q: You write on your Web site: “The latest addition to my scope of interest is life story writing. When I learned about this field, I discovered my professional skills and my personal interests weaving together.” How did you learn about the field? What attracted you? You note that life-story writing is a growing field. What factors do you feel are contributing to its growth?

A: I discovered personal history — storytelling for individuals — through an introduction to a working professional, Anita Hecht. As soon as I saw what she was doing, the lightbulb went on for me. I was tired of working in advertising/marketing; I sought something that was more about the heart, and less about the wallet. I certainly found that. I think personal history is growing as people discover that the legacy they leave to their families is incomplete without some sense of their lives — what they learned from what they lived through, what they valued, and why. Another factor contributing to the growth of life-story writing is new technology, such as short-run printing, DVDs, and collaborative websites, that expand the possibilities for creating and distributing those memories. As a result, there is a growing business opportunity for professional services dedicated to preserving memories.