Pictured above: Sara Puotinen (center), with her older sisters, Anne (left) and Marji (right).
I am a fourth generation Puotinen. I was born in Houghton, Michigan, about 70 miles north of my family’s former farm. Growing up, I moved around a lot, from Michigan to North Carolina to southern Virginia to the Washington D.C. area to Iowa. But, I went back to the farm (almost) every summer with my family and it always felt like home. Even though it was sold in 2004, it still feels like home. I’ve been collecting archival material, interviewing family members, telling stories and creating digital videos about the farm since 2000.
Storyteller and troublemaker.
I am an undisciplined storyteller and troublemaker who loves to critically and creatively experiment with new online technologies. In a former life, I was an assistant professor in the Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies Department at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. My training, researching and teaching (I have a Ph.D in Women’s Studies) informs much of my work on memory, storytelling, ethics and new media.
You can contact me at sara@room34.com.
And check out my collection of online spaces:
