The Life Narrative Process

This excerpt is from our second interview.  I am asking Rosemary to look over the transcripts of our first interview and to give me feedback. 

Degra: OK, well I just want you to look at it so that if there’s anything you don’t like, or if you read something and you’re like, I don’t want anybody to know that about me, then I’ll know.

Rosemary:  OK, yeah.

D:  ‘Cause I don’t want to portray you in a way you don’t  want to be portrayed.  And I don’t want to give anybody information about stuff you don’t want anyone to know.

R:  Yeah, and this is so comfortable, I guess you could start blabbing about anything and then think about it later.  And you might not want that one piece put in there.

D: Yeah.  Exactly.  Exactly. 

We talked about the both of the transcripts after this conversation and together made decisions on what to cut and what to change. 

What I think of the Life Narrative Process

I have presented a biased view of the life of Rosemary Hieser in this website. My only sources of information are transcripts (which I transcribed) from interviews which I conducted.  This is the story of Rosemary through a DegraFilter.  If Rosemary were to present her own life, it would be very different from the one which I am presenting.  If she were to participate in interviews with a person other than me, a different story would transpose.  And if our time together had occurred in another decade, a different setting, or at a different time of day, the result would be another as well.  I understand that the nature of this life story is dependent upon Rosemary's portrayal of her life to me, my interpretation of it, and the backdrop behind our meetings.

I believe that Rosemary and I listened to one another and were very honest in our portrayals of ourselves.  I feel that we shared a great deal, and I am thankful for that.  All interviews were at her farm, a terrific backdrop for us.  It is her element, her home, part of her spirit and life.  I also feel extremely relaxed and euphoric and positive on her farm.  What a great place for a life narrative to transpose!

Keeping these things in mind, I believe that I have done my best to listen to Rosemary and to present her story in a manner that reflects our interviews and her portrayal of her life to me.

About Me and My Biases

I'm obviously a student at Hollins University.  I'm a junior Spanish major and my minor is Anthropology.  I have a four year-old son, Quinn.  Above are three cute pictures of him at Seven Springs Farm.  I love being a mom much more than I like being a student.  I also love being a doula (labor assistant.)  I work at Roanoke Natural Foods Co-Op, I've been there since the beginning of time (that would be 5 years.)  I really love all of these roles, mother, student, doula, cashier.

I am extremely interested in interpersonal relationships, emotions, and the meaning behind events in life.  This definitely shaped my listening skills and my questions in my interviews with Rosemary.  I feel that I was usually a good listener, trying to let her speak, let the story fall from her mouth.  Often though, my interest was sparked by something she said, or something I assumed she meant, and I interrupted with questions.  Sometimes I asked directed questions, where I should have asked more open-ended ones.  I also chose to ask Rosemary about things that I am interested in: farming, solar power, music, her childhood.  Another interviewer would have asked questions that struck their interest, and they would have been different from mine.

I chose to interview Rosemary because I admire what she is doing.  She grows her own food without pesticides, she uses solar electricity, she lives on a gorgeous farm in a small community, and she loves her life!  What could be better than that?  I hope to one day incorporate all of these things into my life. 

Thanks so much, Rosemary, for being in my life, for growing good food, for being an inspiration, and for letting me create a life narrative of your life, however biased and incomplete it is!