Neil White has been a newspaper editor, magazine publisher, advertising executive, and federal prisoner. He operates a small publishing company, writes plays and essays, and teaches memoir writing. His memoir, In the Sanctuary of Outcasts (William Morrow), chronicles the year he was imprisoned in the last leprosarium in the continental United States, where he met people he would never have engaged with on the outside. As he fumed about the unfairness of his incarceration and the end of life as he knew it, his new friends guided him with their own life experiences and helped him regain values he had nearly forgotten. Of all the lessons he learned in that unusual place, the one that resonates deepest is that the most valuable friends -- the ones worth knowing best and keeping -- are those covered with scars. He discovered the secret to happiness, leading a fulfilling life, and the importance of fatherhood in the most unlikely of places.
White was an ordinary guy who weighed the measure of his worth by appearance. He desired nice cars, homes, and clothing. He loaned money to family and friends. He was active and generous in his church, but his bank account couldn't keep up with his addiction to an appearance of perfection, so he began moving money from one account to another to avoid bouncing checks. Soon, what started out as moving money from one account to another to cover expenses became something bigger, something illegal: kiting checks. Eventually, he was caught, convicted of fraud and sent to prison.
White shares his journey with audiences all over the country at venues ranging from universities, churches, historical societies, libraries, and various community organizations. He is the ideal speaker for our contemporary times as we face a society crippled by white-collar crime and greed, and cast a wary eye on the round-the-clock news coverage and analysis that dominates our televisions. White's experiences in and out of prison have granted him no small measure of perspective that make his tale truly inspiring as well as important and educational.
White is the former publisher of New Orleans magazine, Coast magazine, and Coast Business Journal. He is the recipient of over 27 publishing and advertising awards. He lives and works in Oxford, Mississippi. One of his current projects is a magazine that teaches financial literacy to kids. His children, who were seven and four at the time of his incarceration, are now college students.
Praise for Neil White:
"A dynamic and energetic speaker who captivates his audience with his knowledge and presentation. He has mastered the art of speaking that keeps the audience engaged and entertained. Listening to Neil makes knowledge sink and time fly by."
- Samir Husni, "Mr. Magazine" and Chair, Meek School of Communications
"Neil White is absolutely one of the best public speakers I've ever heard. He is engaging, fascinating, funny, and disarmingly frank. When he speaks to my college classes, I know my students are in for both a treat and an outstanding learning experience. In fact, they talk about him for weeks afterwards!"
- Robin B. Street, APR, Lecturer in Journalism/Public Relations
"Neil White is as dynamic a speaker as he is a writer, which is saying a lot. His excellent contribution to a collection of essays on journalism ethics I edited a few years back was one of the most interesting in the book. Likewise, his frequent appearances as a guest lecturer in my Media Ethics classes here are always a highlight of the semester. Students are engaged, ask question after question, and never fail to tell me afterward how much they enjoyed his lecture."
- Joseph B. Atkins, Professor of Journalism, Editor, Media Ethics & the World
Praise for In the Sanctuary of Outcasts:
"Neil White's memoir, In the Sanctuary of Outcasts, is a remarkable story of a young man's loss of everything he deemed important, his imprisonment in a place that would terrify anyone, and his ultimate discovery that redemption can be taught by society's most dreaded outcasts."
- John Grisham
"Neil White's memoir, In the Sanctuary of Outcasts, is a wonderfully bizarre and entertaining memoir of jailhouse redemption - by turns hilarious, astonishing and, when all is said and done, deeply moving."
- John Berendt, author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
"Sent to prison for white-collar crime, only to find he was to serve out his time at Carville, the last leper colony in mainland America, Neil White has crafted an important memoir of his personal transformation from superficiality and fear to meaning and hope by 'the least of these' -- men and women suffering from Hansen's Disease - leprosy of old. In the Sanctuary of Outcasts was a rare treat for me as I not only learned about this extraordinary place, only whispered about when I was a child, but, even better, was reminded again of what really matters in this life."
- Robert Hicks, author of The Widow of the South
"If Federico Fellini had been a film director of the American South, he would have leapt at the chance to make a major movie of Neil White's memoir, In the Sanctuary of Outcasts. At once surreal and grittily naturalistic, funny and poignant, White's tale is fascinating and full of universal resonance. And, not incidentally, White is a splendid writer, adept at both creating a scene and illuminating the human heart. This is a book that will endure."
- Pulitzer Prize winner, Robert Olen Butler
"In the Sanctuary of Outcasts tells the fascinating story of Neil White's years of high living and bank fraud that landed him in prison - but not an ordinary prison - one that doubled as the last leper colony in America. White enters his incarceration determined to keep away from the 'lepers' and nourish his own skills to emerge a stronger businessman, but soon he is drawn into their world. The friends he makes and experiences he has help him emerge stronger, not as a better businessman but a better man. Narrated in an engaging, affable voice with self-deprecating humor, In the Sanctuary of Outcasts is a great American story of personal transformation that leaves White - and ourselves - forever changed."
- Tom Franklin, author of Smonk
"Neil White in his luminous memoir In the Sanctuary of Outcasts explicates his own path to redemption. White brings to life a wacky bunch of characters who help him remember what is best about himself. His story is unique and deeply felt: I enjoyed this book immensely!"
- Darcey Steinke, author of Easter Everywhere and Milk
"White wastes no time getting to the hurt, and once he takes you there, you'll be riveted. This is a searing tale of trouble, but it's more than that; it's also about finding a time and a place in which to lay the groundwork for a new life. A fine memoir and one I highly recommend."
- Steve Yarbrough, James and Coke Hallowell Professor of Creative Writing Coordinator of the MFA Program English Department California State University
"Leprosy and white collar crime in one dynamic book? Neil White, a writer with a multiple mission, knits two fascinating and unfortunate stories into one powerful narrative that is informative, heart-breaking, and highly compelling. White writes with clarity, sensitivity, and unforgettable passion."
- Lee Gutkind, Editor, Creative Nonfiction magazine and author of Almost Human: Making Robots Think
"Neil White's In the Sanctuary of Outcasts is a spellbinding tale of ambition, deception, and unforeseen grace found in unexpected places. It is said that truth is stranger than fiction, and this book once more proves the point. White is a gifted writer, and this is a magnificent story - honest and wise, startling, and revelatory."
- Dinty W. Moore, author of The Accidental Buddhist
"[Neil White] offers a memoir of personal transformation and a thoroughly engaging look at the social, economic, racial, and other barriers that separate individuals that harden, dissolve, and reconfigure themselves when people are involuntarily thrust together over long periods."
-- Booklist (starred review)
"Brisk, ironic and perceptive, White's introspective memoir puts a magnifying glass to a flawed life, revealing that all of life is to be savored and respected."
-- Publishers Weekly
"An earnest chronicle written with equal parts enlightenment and atonement."
-- Kirkus Reviews
"White's memoir continues to surprise as it presents a witty, well-rendered narrative of redemption and enlightenment. Readers who enjoy clever, off-beat memoirs will devour this in one sitting."
-- Library Journal