The Nana Box: An Archiving Solution
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“Cleaning out” is a perennial, daunting pre-occupation. But, as I see it, the important thing is to begin. Here’s how.
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Choosing a Title
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Choosing a title is about grabbing the reader’s interest and giving design direction. The best title is usually not what the client has had in mind.
Read MoreA Precipitating Moment
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Precipitating moments that cause ripples throughout our lives can be quiet ones.
Read MoreWhy Pay for a Personal History?
/Sometimes adult children feel they know their relative's stories well, and don't want to pay for a personal history. But there are other considerations.
Read MoreA Place for Our Stories at the Table
/With a little coaxing from a question in a place card, we share our stories at the table.
Read MoreTelling the Truth
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In writing a life story, it’s important to stay true to the story as told by the person who lived it. What really happened can shift over time, not necessarily intentionally. Memory and imagination both whittle down and embellish an event. And is the result less “the truth?” Perhaps it is more.
Read MoreCelebrate the Completion of Your Story
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Once your personal history project is complete—whether a book or a CD—how do you distribute it to family members and special friends? One excellent way is to weave it into a celebration.
Read MoreCapturing Signature Stories
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We all have signature stories: those stories that come from the core of us, and that we tell over and over and over. My mother-in-law, for example, was a World War II war bride. While my father-in-law was stationed in Vienna, they met in the opera house.
Read MorePhotos Bring the Story to Life
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In any personal history project, photographs can amplify the text in extraordinary ways. The pictures are as significant as the words, and they require many hours of work.
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