I completed a really fun, interesting memoir this week. Here’s what it looks like in its completed case. (Forgive the photo quality – I’m a better writer than I am a photographer, I hope!) Click on any photo to view it up close. The photo at top left is the lid of the case – …
Another memoir to the printer…always bittersweet to wrap up a project!
Just sent a new memoir to the printer and I was admiring the cover photo. Pretty lady, huh? (She still is lovely today, in her eighties!) I love the feeling of accomplishment when I know the book is in the hands of my awesome printers, Lulu Press. Can’t wait to get my proof copy in …
Living History: The Finley Mine Disaster of 1970
http://www.kentucky.com/opinion/op-ed/article52137230.html Follow the link above for an article about the Finley Mine Disaster, which happened 45 years ago. The first personal history I helped to write was that of a gentleman who witnessed the aftermath of the Finley disaster in his Eastern Kentucky community and wrote a blistering article about the negligence of the mine …
A lovely legacy, remembered…
I’m in tears at my keyboard, and not for the first time. Today it’s because I’m transcribing a personal history client’s reminiscences about the death of her sister. The client shared, “My sister had a hard life, with a lot of challenges, but instead of sinking into sadness, she worked hard to make a positive …
Grandfather and grandson at Manzanar
I love this photo of a grandfather and his grandson. Unfortunately, at the time it was taken, they were both interned at the Manzanar War Relocation Center, where the U.S. government sent Japanese-Americans during World War II for no reason other than their heritage. The photo reminds me how important it is that we tell …
Twins in Pink, 1962
I’ve been restoring some old family photos lately with my fancy new Canon scanner. It does the most amazing job with slides and negatives. This photo of my sisters-in-law, circa 1962, was scanned directly from a slide, and a little retouching brought the colors right back to life. Their grandmother sewed those gorgeous cerise coats …
Who gave this kid a cigarette? And what’s with the hen?
Just found this random photo on the Internet. I wish I could tell this kid’s story, whoever he is. It’s got to be a good one!
“I wish I’d known…”
I’ve met two people recently who, when they heard about personal history work, said, “I lost my mom a few months ago. I wish I’d known about this earlier.” That’s so hard to hear. If your parents are getting older and you’d like to get their stories, there’s no time like the present to begin. …