Using the Archive

Title:: Writing "My Story" Using Archival Newspapers: Part 1
Author:: Margaret Randall
Subject Area:: Using archival newspapers to help write personal memoirs
Article:: To begin, there is an inspiring piece in Natalie Goldberg's book, Old Friend from Far Away, that is in the chapter titled "Ordinary."

She says:

I've said this in subtle ways, but yesterday after a book reading, an old student sidled up, not looking at me and said, 'My childhood wasn't so bad. I mean, well, I was brought up in Illinois.'
: Link to full article

Title:: Writing Your Family's Story Using Archival Newspapers
Author:: Margaret Randall
Subject Area:: Using archival newspapers to help write family memoirs
Article:: To begin with, I want to share with you something from one of the best books, no, I take that back, THE best book about writing your life story. It is by Lois Daniel who was a librarian in Missouri. My understanding is that she died some years ago but her book lives on. She had a deep interest in encouraging people to tell their stories and her book continues to be published.
: Link to full article

Title:: Where were you when?
Author:: Margaret Randall
Subject Area:: Adding context to your life stories using archival newspapers
Article:: First though, it's important to acknowledge the process of writing in general, of writing our life stories or those of our families. In various conversations I have heard people say, "who would be interested in my life story?" As my friend Jay Speyerer of Legacy Road Communications said, "you are interesting now, but you will be fascinating 50 years from now!"
: Link to full article

Title:: Writing About Bygone Times Using Archival Newspapers
Author:: Margaret Randall
Subject Area:: Using archival newspapers to help write about bygone times
Article:: In researching this topic, I turned to my favorite life-story writing teacher, Lois Daniel, who wrote How To Write Your Own Life Story. In it Lois talks about writing about our ancestors.
: Link to full article

About the Author: Born and raised in suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Margaret Randall has always enjoyed an enthusiasm for writing. A graduate of the Journalism school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, her first job was reporting news and feature stories for a local newspaper. Later she moved to public relations work and marketing before making a transition into more technical writing for the financial services industry. She started the website www.TellOurLifeStories.com in 2007 because of her long-time interest in hearing and writing life stories.

"Our stories define us, they tell who we are and where we came from," she says. "Our stories also help us to preserve the memories of our loved ones. I once asked my grandma what her life was like growing up. She told me about Milwaukee as it was at the turn of the century, horses instead of cars, great fields and farms instead of suburban acres. Years later, my mother elaborated. My great-grandmother left her husband because he was a drinker. That was unheard of in the Polish Catholic neighborhoods of South Milwaukee. They moved far away, which in those days was only about five blocks from where they had been, but it was a different parish, different priest, different neighbors. I was glad to know these things. If my mom hadn't told me that story, how would I have known my great-grandmother had such character and raised a family of five children all by herself in those days. It i s important to preserve these stories so that they are not lost."

Margaret currently lives in Northern California, but makes frequent visits back to the Midwest
Authors's Website:: http://www.TellOurLifeStories.com