“That book means more to me than anything I’ve ever received in my life,” said Beth Ross earnestly. Ross was talking about a photo album that her aunt had prepared for her. It was five inches thick, with family photos carefully arranged chronologically and clearly labeled. We were at a Prime Time Event at St. George’s Episcopal Church today, where Agatha Nolen and I presented “Telling Stories through Photographs and Words.” Our collaboration went well and several people testified to the importance of the legacy of personal story and memoir, and how it out-values money. I learned some good tips from Agatha, author of Chasing My Father. She pointed out that a photograph may highlight something we did not see when we took it. Agatha’s blog often uses photos as symbol for a life lesson and divine inspiration. Her link is www.agathanolen.com/journal. I shared tips about using photographs to inspire and create; and to illustrate. Recently I realized I could shoot images which were perfect for book covers!
Amsterdam Zoo Stork positioned for book cover. c. DW 2014
Ross’s eyes shone as she described the precious gift of a family photo album. Her statement was one of several comments we heard as people considered the value of saving their stories. Agatha and I had fun, our audience was very engaged and receptive, and we hope to collaborate more in the future. A wonderful day! Next time you have your camera out, play around with our tips to enhance your enjoyment of photography and your writing life.
Perfect Memoirs’ next public event is Jump Start Your Memoir on June 28th, 10-1, Free, at the Nashville TN Main Library. Please call 862-5804 x6092 to register.
Deborah Wilbrink
Kenna
So that’s what storks look like in Amsterdam! Looking forward to your library event.