KATE CAVETT grew up in rural Minnesota listening to her father’s stories about his childhood in the Indian Territory of Oklahoma and the Italian campaign of World War II. She fell in love with stories, hearing the vibrancy of the personality through the human voice as it shares opinions, values, emotions—the rhythm of the voice is more descriptive than a picture.

Since this initial inspiration, Kate has collected oral histories from more than 150 men, women, elders, parents, business owners, police officers, college professors, musicians, and gang members. She has had the opportunity to spend hundreds of hours listening to reflections on parenting, careers, neighborhoods, friends, sorrows, passions, racism, fears, and joys. Kate knows the value of a life review. She has the ability to listen and inquisitively question, while supporting storytellers in creating their legacy as they assess and celebrate their life’s journey.

Kate, who has a B.A. in counseling and an M.A. in human development, has presented to groups from five to 1,000, around the United States. She is the award-winning consulting producer of Oh Freedom Over Me, a radio documentary that considers the history of Mississippi Freedom Summer 1964 as a challenge to address racism today. She is the oral historian and editor of Voices of Rondo: Oral Histories of Saint Paul’s Historic Black Community, which was a 2006 Minnesota Book Award Winner. Kate has known the fun and challenges of parenthood, career, and relationship transitions. When not listening to people’s stories, Kate finds joy in theater, art shows, jazz, blues, friends, and walking her Yorkie, Malee.

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