Portraits in Words ®
the gift of a lifetime…

In June 2011, Dexter joins Portraits in Words®, a nationwide publisher of heirloom personal history and legacy books. “The human desire to pass on stories and traditions and values from one generation to the next is as old as mankind. Yet, we often lose the most treasured stories of our parents and ancestors in the fast-paced digital world of today,” she says.

Portraits in Words produces private edition personal biographies and videos from taped interviews for people who want to preserve their family stories for future generations. The oral tradition is very familiar territory to Dexter. She was born in Oklahoma but grew up in San Diego where her father was discharged from the Navy after World War II. “My parents were great storytellers and always made it a point to educate us about Oklahoma and the Native American cultures they grew up with.” Those childhood stories would spark a life-long interest in other cultures and personal histories for Dexter.

Dexter will conduct relaxed interviews in the comfort and privacy of your own home and then edit the transcribed tapes into a first-person memoir of your life story. She will also help you select photographs and memorabilia — birth certificates, letters, diplomas, newspaper clippings, special keepsakes — that illustrate the highlights of your life.

A member of the Association of Personal Historians, the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors, and the Author’s Guild, Dexter brings a rich and varied experience to Portraits in Words. “Almost everything I have published over the years—from my Ph.D. dissertation to books to magazine articles—has been based on personal interviews and stories,” she says.