The Joys and Surprises of Telling Your Life Story

One of my first projects as a book editor was to edit my grandfather's WWII memoir Cradle Cruise, in which he recalled joining the Navy at the age of 17, arriving in Pearl Harbor within days of the Japanese attack, the loss of his virginity, surviving a typhoon, his first tattoo, meeting my grandmother, and his return stateside in time for the birth of my mother. Recently, my grandfather was diagnosed with leukemia, and while he has come to terms with his mortality, it has become even more important to him to record the stories of his life. The Joys and Surprises of Telling Your Life Story stresses the importance of leaving a narrative legacy for younger and future family members, providing guidelines for telling a life story as well as available resources for additional help. Before recording family memoirs, there are questions that need to be addressed. Should sessions be spontaneous or structured? How private will these recollections be (are they for family use only or will they be placed in a public archive)? Is there sensitive information that might be revealed (I wasn't quite ready for the details of my grandfather's “first time”)? An excellent resource, this is highly recommended for both public and academic oral history collections. Aud: C, P. (J. Asala)