Author Bio

Larisa A. White (née Larisa Naples) writes to celebrate Nature, to advocate ecological stewardship, and to explore the ways in which people relate - or fail to relate - across nations and cultures, landscapes and species. Her past projects have ranged from award-winning screenplays for animated films (Bee Mine / Logline: Bee meets girl.), to original songs (Spangle, Dangle, Glitter / a song of hope and magic for Yule), to acclaimed academic studies (World Druidry / exploring how modern Druids relate to their local landscapes). At present, she is developing the eco-fantasy adventure series, Tales of the Primordial Mountain.

Larisa was raised as a global nomad, relocating every two years as her father designed international airports. Rather than becoming rooted in one place, she spent her childhood bridging gaps between cultures, always looking in from outside. She learned local languages, attended local schools, participated in local religious celebrations, and adapted to local customs, seasonal cycles, and landscapes. In doing so, she discovered the joy of living the questions, exploring diverse perspectives and solutions, and always thinking a little bit differently.

After completing her Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon University, Larisa spent a decade conducting mixed-methods sociological research on the ways that people learn, grow, and change under the influence of changing educational and cultural contexts. Her focus later shifted to the ways in which people interpret and interact with Nature. While she has always found the research fascinating, Larisa prefers creative writing to academic. She has won international awards for her poetry and screenwriting, and enjoys writing rich stories with compelling characters, grounded in the living world.

Larisa currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she spends her free time with her husband and son, building wildlife habitats, and restoring native ecosystems on lands once lovingly tended by the Ramaytush Ohlone.