“Writing, then, was a substitute for myself: if you don't love me, love my writing and love me for my writing. It is also much more: a way of ordering and reordering the chaos of experience.”
—Sylvia Plath

Pieces of the past

VERSIONS OF ONE’S STORY
“It took me decades merely to infer that my grandfather’s life and character surely included more than the mere few funny stories suggested.” Octogenarian Sydney Lea tries to shape his grandfather’s narrative.

VIRAL TIKTOK BEGAN AT GOODWILL
“April’s decision to bring Lucy’s treat jar home adds another layer to this tale. It’s a testament to the power of empathy, a reminder that the things we cherish tell our stories long after we're gone.”

THE TABLE WAS SET
“It’s such a deeply spiritual, fulfilling thing that I can bring my safta’s memory back to life in this plate of food.” Jennifer Ophir on the very last meal her grandmother cooked for her family.

I SAY: DELETE WITHOUT GUILT…
Last week I wrote about why a recent iPhone ad got my hackles up—preview the ad here, then click through to read why I think having more digital memory isn’t necessarily good for holding onto our memories:

Family history finds

UPCOMING GENEALOGY CONFERENCE
The National Genealogical Society 2024 Virtual Family History Conference, “Expanding Possibilities,” will be held May 16–18. Check out the preliminary program schedule here or visit their website to register.

‘SOMETIMES IT’S NOT SO EASY’
Experts from Ancestry dive deep into how to find the stories behind the names and dates on a family tree and “helping people connect.” Click through to watch this hourlong video with behind-the-scenes tips and tricks:

2,400 GENERATIONS
Archie Moore, a Kamilaroi/Bigambul artist, traced his family tree back 65,000 years—then, in chalk, created an ephemeral artwork that documented that genealogy and won a top prize at the Venice Biennale. Called “kith and kin,” the installation “is a memorial to Indigenous lives lost—but it’s also about global common humanity.” Read more here (“Moore’s ancestral connections—real and imagined—branch out onto the ceiling. The dimly lit gallery becomes a church, a cave, and a classroom”) and watch below:

NEW FROM THE BAREFOOT GENEALOGIST
And last up in the family history world, a new podcast from genealogist Crista Cowan, Stories That Live in Us. “I know that sharing the stories that live in you can change everything,” she says. Listen to the trailer here:

Making memories last—on craft and conversation

STORYTELLING INSPIRATION, PROMPTS, ACTIVITIES
“In between what we expect to happen and what happens, there’s this delicious tension that often lends itself to some amazing true stories.” This month on Storytelling School with The Moth: Expectations vs. Reality.

‘NOSTALGIC APPEAL AND STAYING POWER’
“I’ve always appreciated a nicely curated photo album because the subpar pics rarely make it in. It’s all first class. It requires thought and effort to compile your life’s greatest hits in images.”

‘SMALL MOMENTS MATTER’
I couldn’t choose just one quote to share from this wonderful conversation between Rachael Cerrotti and Micaela Blei, so listen in below as they talk about how personal narratives change with time, how to get comfortable sharing your story on stage, and how memories of their grandmothers brought them together. (Dive even deeper into Micaela’s storytelling here, and read more about the connection between these memoirists here.)

Lives in print

CELEBRATING LIFE THROUGH FOOD
Aimee Nezhukumatathil weaves a personal memoir through food in her new book, Bite by Bite. “Food can be a map toward home, toward memory, toward lineage, her book argues. And with it, she beckons us to explore.”

PERSONAL HISTORY OF AN INTERVIEWING LEGEND
“As Susan Page relates in The Rulebreaker, her compelling, deliciously readable biography of [Barbara] Walters, for Cronkite and the other giants of broadcast journalism, the idea that Walters...would be elevated to TV journalism’s most august position was beyond the pale.”

CHRONICLING THE SIXTIES
“An Unfinished Love Story is, as the title indicates, an account of personal loss. It also turns out to be a reflection on the process of constructing history, suggesting how time, perspective and stories left unwritten can shape our view of the past.”

PRIVATE LIFE, PUBLIC PERSONA
Letter by letter, former N.F.L. player Steve Gleason typed his memoir with his eyes. In A Life Impossible, he shares  “the most lacerating and vulnerable times” of his life.

REMEMBERING PAUL AUSTER
I am often advising people on the best way to honor their lost loved ones in print, and I think these two examples of remembrances about the late Paul Auster are wonderful examples: One after the Joe Brainard book I Remember, and the other a life in quotes—both revealing and intimate in different ways.

...and a few more links

• Year-long research project imparts personal histories to West Virginia students

• In a recent Life Writers Vlog, Patricia Charpentier talks about Alice Sebold’s memoir, Lucky.

• “Can memoir help us find our true selves?” asks ghostwriter Pat Pihl

• The best autobiographies to entertain and inspire, according to Vogue

• The hidden legacy of ordinary people: remembering peasants

• TikTok photographer’s powerful photo restorations tell stories of love and culture

• “British parents’ peculiar keepsakes: Teeth, locks, and tiny treasures”

• Mom creates email time capsule for her unborn child

Short takes