Life Story Links: March 10, 2026

curated roundups

Mar 11

“This is the magic, the potential, and the power of memoir. As archetypal storytellers, we are writing the human instruction manual, one hard-earned lesson at a time. We are assuring our readers, you are not alone.”
—Jennifer Selig, Deep Memoir

Vintage postcard with illustration by Rachael Robinson Elmer depicting New York from the 34th Street Ferry, 1914, published by Art–Lovers New York; original from The National Gallery of Art, courtesy Rawpixel.

Our lives in print

HONORING A LIFE
Last week I wrote about how to write a heartfelt, engaging obituary that honors a life with personal stories, creating a meaningful, memorable legacy.

PORTALS TO TRANSCENDENCE
“It will never be enough—in literature or in story—to name the attributes of a person, a moment, an era, a thing. We elevate our lists, and the odes that sometime contain them, by reaching meaning, a previously unforeseen something.” Beth Kephart on literary lists, and Suleika Jaouad on what she doesn't want to forget.

A HYMN TO LIFE
“The memoir is extraordinary—a deeply moving, oddly beautiful account of her life, her marriage, and, ultimately, the events that forced her to reconsider it all.” Gisèle Pelicot’s memoir as the ultimate act of defiance.

What we save

OBJECT LESSONS
“You convince yourself there’s some future where your child will want to return to that moment of pride and love through the act of witnessing the thing she made so long ago.” Mary Townsend on throwing our children’s art away.

SOLDIERS’ PHOTOGRAPHS
For 25 years, the Veterans History Project has preserved the voices of U.S. veterans through a variety of primary sources. Here they highlight six images that offer a glimpse of the powerful stories from their collections.

‘PRESERVING BLACK HISTORY IS NOT AN OPTION’
“A Robertson County, [Tennessee], man spent decades researching his ancestors and others once enslaved at Wessyngton Plantation, turning a seventh-grade discovery into a mission to preserve history.”

Ghosts in the machine?

FOREVERMORE TECH LAUNCH
“The platform centers on preserving everyday life details, including anecdotes, traditions, advice, and humor, rather than formal biographies. Users can gradually create a living archive that grows over time.”

ON AI BEFORE AI
“Today, ghostwriting websites must work to advertise why they could perform their writing-for-hire services better than a machine.”