About Me

I am the author of the memoir "Why I Left the Amish." In February 2012, I was featured in the PBS documentary "The Amish" that aired on American Experience. I was born and raised in an Amish community in Ohio. Driven by my desire for freedom and more formal education, I broke away from my community –– not once, but twice. I graduated from Smith College in May 2007 with a major in German Studies and a minor in Philosophy. My education has included research on the Amish with Dr. Donald Kraybill and a semester abroad in Germany, where I studied at the University of Hamburg. During my thirty-year inner struggle of coming to terms with my Amish past, I have gleaned a better understanding of myself and my heritage. It is this perspective that I bring to my reflections about Amish.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Amish on American Experience Tonight!



WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY DAVID BELTON
PRODUCED BY CALLIE T. WISER
CINEMATOGRAPHY BY TIM CRAGG
EDITED BY CHYLD KING
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER LIZ SHEA
PRODUCTION SOUND MIXER JOHN D. GOOCH
ORIGINAL MUSIC BY SAUNDER JURRIAANS & DANIEL BENSI
SENIOR PRODUCER SARAH COLT
 
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IS A PRODUCTION OF WGBH BOSTON
SERIES SENIOR PRODUCER SHARON GRIMBERG
SERIES EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MARK SAMELS



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8 comments:

  1. I've been reading your blog for a long time. Very happy with the way your story is being told on PBS. Your wedding pictures are radiant! Congratulations!

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  2. Beautiful movie. Beautiful cinematography. Thank you for teaching and sharing all your stories with us.

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  3. I was surprised and thrilled to see you on PBS! You were great! You made a very valuable contribution to the show. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  4. How sad that I was not able to watch your show. Cox does not have PBS they use to don't know why not now. I love the Amish stories and so admire them. Been to Lancaster, PA back in 92 and Berlin, Sugar Creek and other nearby cities/towns of Ohio last year in March. Sure wish I could go again. God bless, Patti in VA

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  5. The show was fascinating, Saloma, and you were wonderful on it! You expressed yourself as clearly speaking as you do in writing, and I loved the photos, especially the wedding photo. Thanks for a great job!

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  6. I didn't get to see the whole show but was pleased to see so much more info on your blog. I am interested to know the beliefs of the Amish and the history was interesting too. Many of the same roots to our own church and belief system.
    Very interesting. Thank you for sharing your life experiences with us.

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  7. We watched the PBS documentary last night...loved the photography!

    We concluded that it was a pretty accurate, heavily one-sided account of the Amish lifestyle/community. We thought some insight by cult and mind control experts would have balanced it out quite well. However, that wasn't the point of the documentary.

    At any rate, as someone who also "defected" (the horse & buggy Old Order Mennonites in Pa.)here's my heartfelt "Bravo" for you! I am going to explore your blog later today! :-)

    Sarah
    earthnsky8d(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  8. Lovely portrait; it seemed reasonably balanced, though somewhat romanticized. I did appreciate the insightful comment that while most "English" deplore the effect of technology on family life, they are unwilling to banish it from their (our) homes, while the Amish embrace true simplicity in the interest of family and community.

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