Workshops
By the time you reach a certain age you will have accumulated years of memories in the form of letters, photographs, VCR tapes, 8 mm film, discs, sound recordings, and tchotchkes. You box them up and shove it in your closet, garage, or attic where they seem to grow into a monster. But these memories are not going away. You can try to bury them, but do you really want to? After all, why did you save them in the first place?
My workshops address some of the issues, questions, logistics, mental hurdles, strategies and ultimately the joys and satisfaction of taming that monster-in-a-box.
You’d be surprised how reviewing and organizing these materials into something more coherent will take a load of your mind. Another benefit is the library mantra “that a weeded collection is a used collection.” In other words, once you have reviewed these materials, you can throw some things out (more duplicates than you realize) and organize the rest into something more accessible.
The end results:
- Less space required for that monster-in-a-box.
- You can actually find things you want to share.
- You can share these things more easily.
- When (not if) you die you will save your loved ones from this task (assuming they are willing to even do it).
- You control your own narrative (which is a very popular thing to do).
- While curating these memories, you may learn more about yourself.
Murray Browne, author of A Father’s Letters: Connecting Past to Present facilitates the workshop, which he operates much like he does his pop-up book shop Destination Books. A couple of tables of materials and resources will be set up which you can browse through your leisure and ask questions. You may even meet like-minded individuals but do not be surprised there will be a sharing of stories.
Pros and Perils of Self-Publishing
Pros
- The book is done the way YOU want it.
- You can get your book out there quicker (when you factor looking for an agent or publisher)
- Your profit margin on each book sold is much better than through conventional publisher.
- There are success stories (but few and far between)
- Doesn’t really cost that much (Father’s Letters from editing to first copy $1600, but my book is thin)
Perils
- A stigma to self-publishing (Vanity Press)
- A lot of work to do it after writing it. (Editing, design, formatting, submission, ISBN, Library of Congress)
- Your book will get lost in the tsunami of books (as most all books do).
NEXT WORKSHOP – DeKalb History Center, Saturday morning, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., September 20, 2025.
Writing Family and Community History
Is this the time you finally write the family history book you promised yourself that you would write? But what can you expect from taking on this challenge? Besides personal commitment, there is the organizational consideration of putting letters, photographs and videos into a format that you can share. And what options do you have for dissemination and/or preservation? Publishing, self-publishing or perhaps in a digital format.
Moderated by Murray Browne author of A Father’s Letters: Connecting Past to Present, this three-hour workshop held on Saturday, September 20th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Not will will provide strategies and insights to these questions, but equally important it is an opportunity to share your experiences and progress with like-minded individuals.
Writing such histories may require doing genealogical research and Tamika Strong the Manager, Reference and Research Division at Auburn Avenue Research Library will provides valuable information on how to do this. Strong is an expert in this area and will be available to field many of the questions that arise.
To sign up for the Preserving Family and Community History Workshop visit the DeKalb History Center website for details.
murraybrowne.org 