Brooke Leighanne White
Anthropologist, Author, Herbalist, and Artist.Exploring people, nature, culture, and the stories that shape how we see the world.
My work lives at the intersection of cultural anthropology, herbalism, and the healing arts. I explore our relationship with the natural world, the ways our environments shape our reality, and the stories we inherit from those who came before us. By preserving the voices and experiences of our elders, I hope to create narratives that make us question our beliefs, examine the influence of society, and understand ourselves a little more deeply.
The Mayberry Mirage: A Veteran's Truth
The Mayberry Mirage book is a brief, intergenerational account of the Vietnam War and its lasting repercussions, told through the voices of a grandfather and his granddaughter. Rather than recounting battlefield events, this literary nonfiction work examines what is carried in silence, obedience, loyalty, inherited grief, and the cost of not speaking.Moving between personal reflection and historical context, the narrative explores how war continues to shape families long after it ends, and how patriotism and sacrifice are often understood through what is left unsaid. Written with intention, this book does not seek to explain the Vietnam War, but to witness its enduring imprint on identity, relationship, and legacy."This is a crystalline, beautiful, pithy and poignant work of heart that weaves together themes of obedience, silence, inherited grief, and sacrifice." - Dr. Tymeson, MD, Psychiatrist, Veterans Affairs."I truly enjoyed reading this book. It is concisely written and does a wonderful job about pointing out the change and indoctrination we all succumb to for the sake of patriotism. I FELT the words, especially about leaving home and returning to friends and family as a soldier....changed and someone who can never be what you were before we got to experience war, loss, and having to bear the pain silently and alone. I wholeheartedly agree with the assessment on patriotism and questioning what power tries to peddle to us as citizens to get us to blindly fall in line. It felt like I was reading chapters of my own life in parts....Thank you." - Anonymous Iraq War Veteran
Preserve Your Story Package
Every life holds stories worth remembering.The Mayberry Mirage began with a desire to preserve my grandfather's experiences in his own voice. As I listened to his stories, I realized that what mattered wasn't only what had happened, but the way he remembered it—the words he used, his humor, his perspective, and the meaning he had made of his experiences.Our elders carry entire worlds with them: childhood memories, family histories, lessons learned, places that no longer exist as they remember them, and stories we may not realize we want to know until we can no longer ask.Preserve a Story is a way to capture some of that while we still can.Through a relaxed, recorded conversation, I listen to you or someone you love tell a meaningful piece of their life story. I then transform that conversation into a carefully written narrative that preserves not only the events, but the person's natural voice, personality, and perspective.The result is something that can be read, shared, printed, gifted, and passed down through the family line, a piece of someone's story preserved for the people who come after them.Includes:
60–90 minute remote interview
3–5 page written narrative
One round of revisions
Digital keepsakeIntroductory Rate: $397Use this contact form to tell me a little about the person or story you would like to preserve. Who is the story about, and what part of their life or experience would you most like to preserve? I will respond to your inquiry via email soon!