Videotape Your Memoirs: The Perfect Way to Preserve Your Family's History (The Best Half of Life) [Paperback]

Suzanne Kita (Author), Harriet Kinghorn (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Best Half of Life | Publication Date: April 1, 2002

Every one of us has a story to tell, yet writing is often such a daunting task that most people never get around to starting their memoirs—let alone finishing them. There are plenty of books on how to write one’s memoir; this is the only one on how to videotape a memoir.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Suzanne C. Kita is a writer, editor, teacher, and education consultant. She has taught both in public and private schools and in community colleges. She lives in the Rocky Mountains near Bailey, Colorado, where she facilitates workshops for writers of all ages and writes on environmental issues for children and adults.

Harriet Kinghorn was honored as "Teacher of the Year" in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, and received the Doane College Alumni Educator of the Year award. She has authored and coauthored more than thirty educational books. In 1995, her Every Child a Storyteller: A Handbook of Ideas, written with Mary Helen Pelton, won the Storytelling World Award.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

§ Have you ever wished you knew more about your parents’ or grandparents’ lives or even the lives of close friends? Have you wished that they had recorded and passed on to you the stories of their lives?

§ Have you ever taken time to think about your own experiences, those that made you who you are?

§ When was the last time you vowed to write your own memories, yet put aside the immediate urge, unsure of how to begin?

If these questions make you feel the need to take action, then this book is for you. In Videotaping Your Memoirs, we will

• examine the motives many adults have for sharing their stories; • explore the intrinsic values of reviewing your life’s journey; • encourage you to identify and retrieve the significant, colorful, and entertaining memories of your own life; • recommend videotaping as an easy, innovative method of transcribing these stories; • explain how you can capture, preserve, and share a lasting legacy with those you love.

Why do we feel compelled to pass on the stories of our lives? It’s human nature to want to form a meaningful link between ourselves, those who have gone before us, and those who will follow us. Long before the use of written language, humans kept life histories and traditions alive through story telling. A few generations ago, families lived close together and often spent entire lifetimes in the same community. It was easier for people to know each other’s histories then and to keep memories alive. Now our society has become more mobile. Family members often no longer live in the same communities. Our lives have become busier, with many more demands on our attention. This means there are fewer opportunities and less time for sharing reminiscences.

§ Have you ever wished you knew more about your parents’ or grandparents’ lives, or the lives of your close friends?

Significantly, having little information available about our ancestors’ lives creates a void in our own histories. Often all that remains of those who preceded us are tattered photos and entries in the family Bible. Many times we think about these ancestors and ask ourselves: What would it have been like to live in Grandma’s time? Or, what was Aunt Johnnie like? How many times have we wished we could remember Granddad’s story about how he and Grandma met? How often have we wished we could fully appreciate the influence great-aunts and uncles have had on our lives? If you had your father’s or mother’s autobiography, wouldn’t you consider it to be among your most prized possessions? While you may no longer be able to fill this particular void, you can ensure that your heirs will not suffer the same sort of loss. By creating your memoirs, you are giving your loved ones the chance to see you as a real person during the various stages of your life—and as you are now—and to learn about the significant events and changes of your life. Leaving your memoirs is a gift that only you can give, one that those close to you will treasure. Otherwise, much will be lost forever. Of course, you need to believe that your life’s journey has been unique, interesting, and important. Unfortunately, many of us hedge on this. "Oh, my life has been ordinary," we say. "There’s nothing special about it." On the contrary, each person’s life is too valuable to go unrecorded or to be forgotten. Your experiences are your own greatest treasure. No matter who we are or what sort of life we’ve lived, we all have intriguing stories to tell. What kinds of stories might you share? First, you’ll want to describe the facts—and, just as important, your feelings about the turning points of your life, the peaks and valleys. In fact, you may wish:

• to create a personal history set in the scope of larger circumstances and events, placing yourself in relationship to the bigger picture of the history of your family, your local community, and your world; • to explain your actions and beliefs, the why behind what has happened in your life (maybe just to set the record straight); • to focus on what the past means to you now, the ways in which it has affected you, and what lessons you have learned; • to share the wisdom you have gained along the way, or the truth as you see it now; • to entertain others with some of your favorite anecdotes and jokes, so that they will be acquainted with your sense of humor and perspective; • to share the tragedies you have lived through and moved beyond.

A memoir is exactly what you want it to be. The only requirement is that it describes and defines you and your experiences.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Linden Publishing (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884956254
• ISBN-13: 978-1884956256
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,644,807 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Readers will learn how to choose the proper equipment, December 7, 2002

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Videotape Your Memoirs: The Perfect Way to Preserve Your Family's History (The Best Half of Life) (Paperback)

Videotape Your Memoirs: The Perfect Way To Preserve Your Family's History by authors and educators Suzanne Kita and Harriet Kinghorn is a useful and "user friendly" instructional guide and reference to recording the personal histories and autobiographies of family members for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations. Readers will learn how to choose the proper equipment, orgaize their thoughts, enlist the help of others, be at ease during videotaping sessions, utilize photos and other memorabilia toillustrate an autobiographical video, creat a personal monologue, include friends and family, use scene and setting for added interest, archive and preserve the video taped presentations. As one of the newest tools for genealogists and family historians, videotaped memoirs could prove to be invaluable resources for future genealogy efforts -- as well as providing an enduring memorial and testament to the life experiences of ourselves and our loved ones. If you are considered the creation of a video taped autobiography, begin by carefully reading Suzanne Kita and Harriet Kinghorn's Videotape Your Memoirs!