Our premier product is a Word Portrait, a full-bodied memoir that blends together the sustaining themes of the person's life with the actions and events that define him.
Based largely on personal interviews, though on occasion integrating family documents or historical research, we structure the story to provide narrative flow, generational clarity and personal insight.
Sometimes this means following a life chronologically, but more often we weave the story according to threads rather than years. At the same time, we take great care to retain the storyteller's authentic voice, while not slavishly using his every word. The result is a unique combination of traditional oral history and contemporary personality profile.
The finished manuscript can be any length, but two to three hundred pages—including approximately twenty-five photographs—generally works best. It's long enough to give an in-depth story of the person's life, short enough not to overwhelm.
Printed on archival paper and bound by talented craftspeople, the book is designed to be enjoyed today and treasured tomorrow, enabling future generations to make an emotional connection with a family member they never had the opportunity to meet.
For more on our techniques, click on the following links.
For a discussion of books vs. videos, click on the link below.