Memories Matter

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The Blog - Write Your Life, Preserve Your Memories

July 28, 2025

Life Story Links: September 22, 2026

July 28, 2025

Dawn Roode’s curated roundup for the week of Sept. 23, 2026, is overflowing with recent reads on memoir, life story writing, and family history preservation.

July 28, 2025

November 25, 2024

“Write Your Life” delivers weekly memory & writing prompts via email

November 25, 2024

Learn about our Write Your Life course, providing memory prompts, writing guidance and a dose of inspiration to anyone who wants to preserve their stories now.

November 25, 2024

March 8, 2021

Meaningful conversation when your loved one is on hospice—here’s help

March 8, 2021

How to have meaningful conversation with your loved one on hospice, including the best life review questions & 4 things we all should say when someone is dying.

March 8, 2021

READ THE LATEST POSTS

Dawn M. Roode 11/15/22 Dawn M. Roode 11/15/22

Life Story Links: November 15, 2022

On tap this week: A host of memoir-ish media recommendations, plenty about preserving legacies of those who have come before us, and tips for writing our lives.

Dawn M. Roode 1/9/22 Dawn M. Roode 1/9/22

Most anticipated memoir & craft books of 2022

Personal historian Dawn Roode of Modern Heirloom Books lists her most anticipated books of 2022 for fans of memoir and the craft of writing. Mark your faves!

Dawn M. Roode 11/30/21 Dawn M. Roode 11/30/21

Life Story Links: November 30, 2021

This week's memory-keeping roundup includes audio recommendations, compelling personal essays, new memoirs, plus personal history news and trends.

Dawn M. Roode 11/16/21 Dawn M. Roode 11/16/21

Life Story Links: November 16, 2021

This week's roundup includes a wealth of stories about memoir (both writing and reading), some fun reads about food memories and recipe preservation, and more.

Dawn M. Roode 10/12/21 Dawn M. Roode 10/12/21

Three writers use vignettes to craft moving memoirs

Memoirs by Sarah Manguso, Beth Ann Fennelly, and Beth Kephart each weave together short narratives to create evocative, textured self-portraits of the writers.

Dawn M. Roode 4/27/21 Dawn M. Roode 4/27/21

Life Story Links: April 27, 2021

For memory-keepers: A curated collection of recent stories about memoir (reviews & first person excerpts) and family history (as preserved through narrative).

Dawn M. Roode 11/19/19 Dawn M. Roode 11/19/19

Life Story Links: November 19, 2019

A wealth of personal history news, from immigrant memoirs to Thanksgiving story sharing, from archives of the past to the value of writing and remembering.

Dawn M. Roode 11/5/19 Dawn M. Roode 11/5/19

Life Story Links: November 5, 2019

A virtual tour of what's worth reading this week about memoir, family history writing, and life story preservation, including how language impacts meaning.