D.C. culture may have its faults, but laziness certainly isn’t one of them. We work hard here (and, according to a recent Men’s Health poll, we play hard, too). We work so hard that many organizations and companies, particularly those in D.C., try to recruit new employees by promising a “work-life balance” -- something that used to be called simply “time off” or “after 5 p.m.” only a few short years ago. In a culture where maintaining even one career requires an abundance of strategy and electronic gadgets, attempting two seems out of the question.

Not for local writer Sarah Moffett. By day, she’s a lawyer (yes, we know: who isn’t?) for a large firm in Alexandria. At night, however, Moffett transmogrifies into a storyteller -- something, she’ll tell you, she comes by honestly, having been raised by parents who immersed her in stories both imagined and experienced. A few years back, Moffett’s natural inclination towards storytelling finally prompted her towards the computer. The result was Growing Up Moffett, a memoir of a traumatic year in the author’s life that found her dealing with profound loss amidst a peripatetic existence, one in which her family’s faith drove many of their decisions and choices. Moffett’s cleverly shaped recollections of this year -- at once funny, tragic, poignant, and revealing -- bring the entire Moffett clan into relief, where we discover their charming eccentricities, overarching humanity and generosity.

DCist sat down with Sarah Moffett to discuss what went in to writing Growing Up Moffett.

Tell us about the stories within the stories. Your father must have been a tremendous storyteller.

There are actually two stories involved in Growing Up Moffett: first there’s my memoir, and then there’s my father’s story. This is particularly true since the book acts as a repository of sorts for his stories. These stories were passed on to me through my father’s nightly tradition of putting the Moffett clan to bed each night with a story. Some were fantastic fictional creations, and others were stories of his childhood. These tended to involve him and his twin, my Uncle Dave.

My mother was, by situation and circumstance, the written storyteller. Since my father’s family lived out West (primarily Colorado), my mother would keep them abreast of our family by writing long letters. And not just these kind of cursory updates that people often mistake for letters. They would contain vividly detailed stories of the latest events, complete with pictures of the East Coast Moffett children’s exploits and misadventures. So it was through these oral and written traditions that I acquired a sense not only of the past, but also a rooted place in the present and foundation for the future. A place that gave me immense comfort when times were difficult. It also helped me understand how much the past is actually present; an immeasurable comfort when I lost loved ones at a young age.

What prompted you to write this memoir? Why this slice of your life?

I wanted to explore my idea that to me, people never die. That they are alive in the stories we tell about them. That though some of the people in this memoir have been “gone” in the technical sense for some time, they haven’t left me. I think what happened for me is that realization that I had a story to tell and that it was time to tell it. The catalyst was getting together with my siblings in Christmas of 2005, reminiscing about our family and discovering that we had the fabric in place for a narrative, that all we were missing were just a few pieces. So, with my siblings blessing and my parents’ indulgence, I started writing it.

We know what you learned within the story. What did you learn about writing the story?

I learned that it was initially difficult to make the switch from “lawyer brain” to “Moffett (storytelling) brain,” which is where I needed to be to write it. Candidly? Wine helped. I would come home at night, open a bottle of wine to help with the transition, and just start writing. It was very therapeutic, telling one’s own story. Another thing I learned was how much I don’t know about writing, that there’s still plenty to learn. In fact, had I any idea what the problems I would face while writing the story, from a technical standpoint, I don’t know that I would have written it. Writing is hard work. As Nathaniel Hawthorne said, “easy reading is damned hard writing.” But now I love it, especially meeting those technical challenges and improving my own writing style.

How do you manage the working life and the writing life?

Well, first of all, I’ve been blessed to work for an extremely flexible law firm. Despite the firm being an AmLaw 200 law firm, it’s one that understands how much being a well-rounded person can benefit both the firm and one’s legal career. Once I get my work done (while continuing to grow as an attorney, of course), I’m encouraged to leave the office behind to develop my other pursuits. So that helps. Mentally transitioning can sometimes be difficult, as I mentioned above. In fact, the challenge I’m currently facing is maintaining a social life while maintaining a legal career and a writing career. Always that danger of becoming too solitary, which certainly doesn’t help a writer, I don’t think.

Your memoir is peppered with tons of literary references, books and writers, etc. Yet you make an interesting stylistic choice regarding these references, choosing to footnote them instead of simply letting go unexplained in the text. Why?

Actually, my publisher kind of told me to, believing that I’d lose some of my younger audience if I didn’t do this. So I acquiesced. I actually completed all the footnotes in an hour and a half. I opened up a bottle of Kendall-Jackson (noticing a trend here?) and began writing explanations behind the literary references. You’ll notice that, at least initially, I tried to be more detailed. But as time and necessity dictated, and as the wine began to take effect, the explanations become more terse and tongue-in-cheek. By the end I’m like, “c’mon guys, go read a book.” It was fun, though.

Growing Up Moffett is available through Amazon.com.