Hey Mom? Can we have a pet monkey?

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Debbie Brodsky

  When I tell people what I do or talk about capturing someone’s “life story,” people are often overwhelmed at the thought of trying to capture a complete life story. How on earth can one possibly get every detail of … Continue reading →

Posted in Life Stories, Life Stories as Video, Personal Historians, Uncategorized, Video Tributes | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Remembering Mom for Mother’s Day–and Every Day

Posted on May 9, 2012 by bob.breakstone

  Any time is a great time to honor your parents, but Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are particularly fitting, of course. Here’s a short clip with my mom that tells how she and my dad met. I love the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethical Wills/Legacy Statements, Life Stories, Life Stories as Audio, Personal Historians, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

I Wish I Knew More About Mommy and Daddy

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Sue Hessel

  The greatest honor or respect we can give to anyone—especially our parents—is listening to their stories. In my mind, the moon and stars must be in alignment if parents want to talk about their personal/family history at the same … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviewing, Life Stories, Personal Historians, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 10 Comments

LGBT Families and Personal Histories: Language Matters

Posted on April 25, 2012 by sally.goldin

Words are powerful—we all know that to be true. And choosing the right words in conversation or when working on a personal history can make a huge difference, particularly when working with people or families that don’t fit the “norm.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal Historians, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

SOS! Save Our Stories (and movies and photos)

Posted on April 18, 2012 by taylor.whitney

  We’ve all got them… Old photos, slides, and home movies trapped in boxes in a closet, attic, or garage. Do you long to see the little yellow Kodak boxes of home movies from your childhood? When was the last … Continue reading →

Posted in Archive/Conservation, Life Stories as Video, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

What If the Stories Were Never Told?

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Fran Morley

  You’ll be reading lots of stories and blog posts this week about the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, one of the worst disasters of the early 20th century. I’m wondering about the stories that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Life Stories, Life Stories as a Book, Personal Historians, Popular movies, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Irish Band Solas Seeks Family Stories for CD/Documentary

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Fran Morley

  One thing we like to talk about in APH is how and when the idea of saving our life stories will reach a tipping point in people’s consciousness. The NBC TV program Who Do You Think You Are?  traces the … Continue reading →

Posted in Life Stories, Life Stories as Audio, Life Stories as Video, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Putting Words in Chefs’ Mouths

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Sarah White

  The New York Times Dining section recently featured an article titled “I Was a Cookbook Ghostwriter.” As a personal historian who has been both a ghostwriter and producer of cookbook-memoirs, I loved seeing the article’s author pull back the curtain … Continue reading →

Posted in Editing/Writing, ghostwriting, Personal Historians | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

Rencontre-Moi – “Get to Know Me” – Montreal Oral History Project

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Al Fowler

  There’s a very powerful oral history project happening in Montreal, Canada.   Seven or eight years ago a team of university and community-based  researchers in Montreal began recording the stories of more than 500 refugees—people displaced by mass violence … Continue reading →

Posted in Dealing with Emotions, Life Stories as Audio, Life Stories as Video, Life Story as Other Formats, Oral Histories, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Memoirist for Elders Shows the Way

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Pat McNees

  Memoirist Mary O’Brien Tyrrell is one to watch. She launched Memoirs, Inc. in 1994, coining the term “memoirist” to describe her work with elders’ stories. Ever since, she’s been contributing to the professional advancement of personal historians. Mary came to … Continue reading →

Posted in Book reviews, Business/Corporate Histories, Elderly/Aging, Interviewing, Life Stories as a Book, Personal Historians | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment