Frequently Asked Questions

The process is collaborative and designed to make you feel comfortable. We'll start with a casual in-person pre-interview session (30-60 minutes) where we'll get to know each other and discuss the stories and experiences you'd like to share. 

If you so desire, I'll prepare an outline of questions, and based on our conversation, we can adjust them together so you feel prepared and maintain control over your narrative and the story about your life you wish to tell. 

The recorded interview typically happens within a week or two and lasts 1-2 hours (unless I'm traveling to you, then it usually happens within a day or two). Within a few days after recording, I'll share an audio file (accessible through a Vimeo link) for your review. 

I prefer to conduct interviews in your home, where you're most comfortable and surrounded by your memories and mementos (please don't tidy up or move anything!). If you'd rather meet elsewhere, we can use my hotel room when I'm traveling, or my San Francisco home if you're local. During our pre-interview visit—usually at your location—I'll assess the space, lighting, and determine the best setup for filming. 

Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. Solid colors tend to work best on camera—avoid busy patterns or clothing with logos if possible.  Consider wearing something where you feel like yourself  —  something with meaning. The sweater you love. The earrings or necklace you've had forever -- clothes that have a story, because you're about to tell one.

I’ll bring professional video recording equipment —  including a camera, lighting, and a microphone to ensure high-quality video and audio.  

Yes, this is a video recording. You'll have a camera, lights and a microphone nearby—but I promise to set you at ease. I'll be right there with you, just off camera — so you'll have someone to talk to, not a lens. I create a relaxed, conversational atmosphere, and many participants tell me they forget the equipment is even there. You may even feel like a celebrity -- because honestly, you are one. 🙂 

Absolutely! If you’re able to gather about a dozen photos from throughout your life, we can include those as part of your oral history or within the recording. Photos help tell your story visually and provide context for viewers. Entirely your call, and while I am there, I scan them on the spot and hand them right back to you — your photos never leave your hands.

Your story gets as much time as it needs — there is no clock on this. You can share as much or as little as feels right. Most conversations run between one and two hours, but some are shorter and others longer. What matters is that you have the space to tell your story fully.  We’ll discuss these details during the pre-interview so you know what to expect. All information is kept confidential. 

The questions are somewhat chronological and tailored to your life and experiences — and generally focus on your coming out and coming of age, community, family, life, relationships, career, challenges, activism or community involvement, and the changes you’ve witnessed over the decades. There will be questions that invite you to reflect on what it all means looking back. During the pre-interview, we’ll identify the stories and themes that matter most to you. You will see the questions prior to the interview. We can discuss our format and which questions make sense for your narrative – and you, of course, can add your own. It’s your story. Consider this a guided storytelling experience.  

Absolutely not. Gosh, no. You are in complete control of your story. During the pre-interview, I will ask you what topics or experiences ,if any, you prefer not to discuss, and I will respect that completely. 

Every life contains vital history. You don't need to have a Wikipedia page, have been famous or have led major organizations or movements. Your everyday experiences—how you found community, navigated work, built relationships, survived difficult times—are exactly what future generations need to understand. Your perspective is irreplaceable.

Yes, I’ll bring a waiver/release form to the pre-interview and we can review it together before the camera starts rolling.  It simply gives permission for your story to be preserved in an archive — and opens the door for it to appear in future projects.

Depending on your background and interests, your interview may be a good fit for a specialized archive —for example, musicians' interviews might go to music archives, poets to literary collections at academic institutions, or your story might be relevant to geographic or professional collections.  

Down the road, it's possible this collection could evolve into other forms—perhaps a book, documentary, or exhibit—but that's not something I'm actively pursuing right now. My primary focus is preserving these stories in the archives where they can be accessed and studied.
 

Within a week of the interview, you'll receive a private online link to watch your recording and read the transcript. You can review it yourself and share it with friends and family if you wish. Take your time with this—there's no rush. 

Yes. If after reviewing your recording there's something you regret saying or want removed, we'll discuss it. Some people want to review the recording or transcript carefully; others trust the process. Either way, you have a say in how your story is preserved, and I'm committed to working with you on any concerns.

Yes! I welcome the opportunity to interview couples who want to share their story together. We'll sit down as a trio — you, your partner, and me — and the conversation focuses on your relationship journey: how and when you met, what drew you to each other, how you've navigated challenges together, and how you've experienced decades of social and legal changes as a couple. Many couples in this community have been together for 30+ years, spanning eras when their relationships had no legal recognition through to marriage equality and beyond. There is something profound about hearing a love story told by the two people who lived it — together, in the same room, finishing each other's sentences.

Couples often tell me the interview itself becomes an unexpected gift — a rare dedicated space to reflect on your life and memories together out loud, with someone genuinely curious about your story. I'll ask about joys and milestones, how you've supported each other through hard times, what's kept you together, and the practical and emotional ways you've built a lasting partnership. What does commitment look like after decades together? How have you grown and changed as individuals while staying deeply connected to each other?

I'm interested in how it felt to experience major cultural shifts (like AIDS, marriage equality, workplace protections, or increased visibility) as a couple. You'll be seated together, and you can respond individually or finish each other's stories---whatever feels natural to you. The pre-interview meeting and conversation (which takes place before filming), will help us identify the themes and stories that matter most to both of you, individually and as a couple. 

This happens all the time—it's completely normal! After our conversation, you might think of stories you forgot to mention, details you wished you'd included, or things that didn't come up during our time together. Please know: what you shared was worthy and more than enough. You can't possibly remember or mention everything from a lifetime in one short interview, and you shouldn't feel you need to. That said, if there are significant stories or experiences you'd like to add, we have options. We can schedule a brief follow-up session to capture those additional memories, or you can share them in writing. But please don't let any sense of "forgetting" diminish what you've already given. Your interview stands on its own as a valuable contribution to history.

The memories that surface in the moment—the ones that feel most alive to you during our conversation—are often the ones that matter most. Trust that process.

That’s completely natural and expected. I have tissues. Sharing your life can be an emotional and vulnerable process—revisiting memories, both joyful and painful, often brings up strong feelings. We can pause, take breaks, or skip topics that feel too difficult. This is your interview, and we move at your pace. After we finish recording, I will stay for a while to talk with you about the experience, how you’re feeling and to make sure you’re okay before I leave. Your well-being matters to me.  

You don't necessarily need to prepare anything, though some people like to create a timeline, or look through old photos, letters, or journals before we meet to refresh their memories. We’ll talk about this during the pre-interview — and I will help you come up with a format and structure. 

You can also change your mind at any point—before the pre-interview, after it, or even after we've recorded. This is a big decision, and it should feel right for you. There's no pressure whatsoever If you’re uncomfortable with the finished product.

I have the profound privilege of bearing witness to lives that might otherwise have been lost or forgotten. I’m grateful to those who have trusted me with their story, and I’m here if you want to explore without committing.