“Prompted by the belief that every-day life has value and knowledge from generations ahead, Spence has compiled a well-organized, inspiring introduction to systematically recording family histories…In lucid prose, the work suggests specific topics, questions to ask and inspires an impetus for a new generation of historians and scribes.”
Come-All-Ye of Legacy Books
“Spence creates a compelling context for recording the stages of one’s life. In each section, from childhood through grandparenting, Spence compiles a wealth of penetrating questions to help guide the novice and more skilled writer alike.”
Booklist
“Has great potential for people working with nursing–home patients. Recommended.”
Library Journal
“Linda Spence’s Legacy proves to be just that: the creation of a family heirloom that money couldn't buy. Through a series of thought-provoking questions about each phase in human life, Spence helps readers record their personal history, think back to feelings that any number of snapshots could never capture, and reflect upon their lives.”
Amazon.com
When Linda Spence asked her aging mother to write her life story, her mother stared at a blank sheet of paper and asked—“How? Where do I begin?” In this practical guide to capturing those memories that have been stored away, Linda Spence provides the questions that are the keys to unlocking the memories that make up a life.
Beyond the vital statistics are the personal stories that tell what it was like, what we did, and why we did it, how we feel about our choices, and what our circumstances were. Through encouraging coaching, shared memories, and open-ended questions, the process of producing a personal history becomes intriguing and engaging.
With Legacy the possibilities expand: a personal record is preserved—with its myths, traditions, joys, pains, gains, and losses; a family opens a potential dialogue that will last for generations; the writer has an opportunity for insight and resolution; the culture of a time and place is noted; the tradition of personal story is revitalized, and our present and future find nourishment and knowledge in the past.
Either as a gift that can act as a shared experience as the memories are recounted or as a personal way to take account of one’s experiences, often long since forgotten, Legacy is indeed a way to get one's story down.
Linda Spence writes and collects Legacy stories in Mill Valley, California, where she lives and works as a consultant.
Retail price:
$16.95 ·
Save 20% ($13.56)
Retail price:
$39.95 ·
Save 20% ($31.96)
US and Canada only
Availability and price vary according to vendor.
Share 
Permission to reprint
Permission
to photocopy or include in a course pack
via Copyright Clearance
Center
Paperback
978-0-8040-1003-0
Retail price: $16.95,
T.
Release date: November 1997
155 pages
·
6 × 8½ in.
Rights: World
Hardcover
978-0-8040-1002-3
Retail price: $39.95,
S.
Release date: November 1997
178 pages
Rights: World
Electronic
978-0-8040-4092-1
Release date: January 2018
63 illus.
·
184 pages
Rights: World
“A personal history is a gift to share. Through supportive coaching, stimulating questions, shared memories, and evocative photographs, the process of producing a personal history becomes intriguing and engaging.”
Feminist Bookstore News
“This book lures you to pick up pen and paper… A must for anyone interested in preserving a personal history.”
Connecticut Nutmegger
Searching for Soul
A Survivor’s Guide
By Bobbe Tyler
·
Foreword by Lucia Capacchione
To dive deep into your inner life. To navigate its complexity and explore your story in depth. To discover who you are exactly—the courage you have when life breaks apart, how conscious you become in that process, and how rich you feel learning the meaning of your life.
Catching Stories
A Practical Guide to Oral History
By Donna M. DeBlasio, Charles F. Ganzert, David H. Mould, Stephen H. Paschen, and Howard L. Sacks
A clear and comprehensive introduction for those with little or no experience in planning or undertaking oral history projects.
The Creative Journal
The Art of Finding Yourself: 35th Anniversary Edition
By Lucia Capacchione
Using more than fifty prompts and vibrantly illustrated examples, The Creative Journal—a classic in the fields of art therapy, memoir and creative writing, art journaling, and creativity development—guides readers through drawing and writing exercises to release feelings, explore dreams, and solve problems creatively.
Personal Growth · Psychology - Creative Ability · Journaling
