Marilyn

Marilyn L. (Longinotti) Geary is an oral historian and author specializing in immigration studies. Her first oral histories were of Sicilian fishermen on San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. A native of California’s Santa Clara Valley, Marilyn has seen vast fruit orchards destroyed by Silicon Valley growth. This enormous loss fostered in her a passion for capturing memories of the past before they vanish.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UC Berkeley, Marilyn holds a BA in English/history and a MA in Education. After graduation, Marilyn worked for the Italian Government Travel Office in San Francisco. She became an Italian citizen and visits Italy often.

Marilyn’s oral history projects include Marin Mind/Scapes and The Madonna del Lume/Blessing of the Fishing Fleet. She has written Marin City Memories, Miners, Milkers and Merchants, and co-authored Leavelight: a Motivational Guide to End of Life Planning. Her writings have appeared in Turning Memories into Memoirs, the Oral History Review and the West Marin Review, among other publications.

From her home in Tiburon, California, Marilyn writes, creates fiber art, and travels when possible to explore her interest in textiles and tribal cultures.