My interest in oral history developed from my experience as a magazine writer. As a journalist, I often want people to "spill,” which can feel extractive even under the best circumstances. Good oral history, by contrast, aims to protect a narrator's autonomy to share what they want, when they want, how they want to. Its methods help interviewers avoid shaping a subject’s narrative with their preconceptions and emotional needs. As a discipline, it has a reputation for seeking out the voices of everyday people and prioritizing the integrity of whole-cloth interviews—that is, interviews that are not edited, condensed, or otherwise manipulated. Ideally, an oral history interviewer creates relationships of collaboration and mutual benefit for those they interview.

I an alum of the Oral History Summer School, an intense two-week residential program held in Hudson, New York, and a member of the Oral History Association.

Oral history interviews can be done with just about anyone. They can vary in duration and scope and serve a variety of purposes—artistic, institutional, political, or personal. If you would like my help capturing and preserving your story or that of a loved one—or if you are seeking interviewers to assist you in an oral history project—please reach out so we can chat.