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Unlock Your Story: Get Monthly Inspiration from Modern Memoirs

Stay connected and inspired! Launched in 2021, the free Modern Memoirs Newsletter delivers monthly insights, tips, and author stories to your inbox. Explore our archive below for a rich collection of past issues, where each month a central theme, introduced by President Megan St. Marie, weaves together insightful client interviews, staff perspectives, a featured book, and curated writing inspiration to fuel your creativity and publishing journey. Join our community—sign up today!

April 2025

Grand Acknowledgments—Reflecting on Emma Lazarus and national identity, Megan St. Marie suggests "grand acknowledgments"—personal ancestral reflections alongside land acknowledgments—for a richer understanding of our collective past and duties.

  • “5 Questions” author interview: Bill Simon reflects on his book of letters to his grandchildren, All My Love Always, Your Gampy, sharing his inspiration, the unexpected impact on his wife, and how his artwork poignantly enriched his reflections on family and home.

  • Staff blog: In "Don't Try This at Home," Ali de Groot humorously recounts her challenging yet satisfying solo creation of an art book, advising memoir clients to rely on professional publishing support.

  • Featured book: "The Music of Memoirs" explores how symbolic memoir cover design, like a cello representing a musician's life, can offer insight and inspire personal reflection on meaningful objects as writing prompts.

March 2025

One Is Silver and the Other Gold—Megan St. Marie discusses the value Modern Memoirs places on both new ("silver") and returning ("gold") clients, inspired by familiar verses and a recent referral-based publication.

  • “5 Questions” author interview: Hilde Adler discusses her decision to create a free Digital Book edition of her memoir, The Way It Was, to overcome dwindling print copies and reach a wider audience, highlighting its ease of sharing and the positive reception, particularly from readers in Germany.

  • “5 Questions” author interview: Kevin and Mary Albert discuss his commissioned memoir, Work Hard, Get Lucky, highlighting how the process facilitated Kevin's storytelling for family, the enriching impact of genealogical research, and Mary's newfound understanding of Kevin's past.

  • Featured books: In celebration of Women's History Month, this article highlights several memoirs of inspiring women and their stories available for purchase through Modern Memoirs' online shop, Memory Lane Books & Gifts.

February 2025

Ho’oponopono: Writing to Make Things Right—Inspired by The Pitt and Ho'oponopono, Megan St. Marie suggests using memoir writing and its core phrases—I love you, Thank you, I forgive you, Please forgive me—as prompts to heal and strengthen important relationships throughout life.

  • Staff blog: During Black History Month, Liz Sonnenberg's article celebrates historian Cliff McCarthy, whose research sheds light on African American history in Western Massachusetts and whose own family history reveals a hidden mixed-race heritage, inspiring fellow genealogists.

  • Staff blog: Lily Fitzgerald's "When in Rome, Find Time to Write!" describes how a business trip to Italy turned into a creative writing opportunity sparked by a professor's inspiring assignment.

  • Featured book: Ali de Groot's piece examines the apt title Wearing Out Pickups, noting how the book's opening and gold-foiled cover image of a 1953 Ford resonate with the author's bond with his truck.

January 2025

Hope as a Practice in the New Year—Reflecting on the California wildfires, Megan St. Marie distinguishes hope from optimism, promoting hope as an active practice involving learning, action, connection, and writing for resilience and positive intentions in the new year.

  • “5 Questions” author interview: Veteran journalist Marvin Kalb discusses his latest memoir, A Different Russia, which completes his Cold War experiences in Moscow under Khrushchev, contrasts journalistic freedoms then and now under Putin, and underscores the vital role of truth in today's media landscape.

  • Staff blog: Liz Sonnenberg's "Building William's Farm" highlights her successful in-person research at the National Archives for her great-great-grandfather's homestead records, demonstrating the value of traditional methods over solely online genealogy research.

  • Featured book: In her article "From OK to Far Better," Director of Publishing Ali de Groot recounts a client's experience elevating his father's manuscript from a basic copy-shop version to a professionally designed and enduring hardcover book, emphasizing the significant difference quality design and production can make.

2024

December 2024

Memoir Lessons from the Barefoot Contessa—Megan St. Marie shares memoir writing lessons from Ina Garten's Be Ready When the Luck Happens, emphasizing focused anecdotes, emergent themes, manageable writing, and hopeful, candid storytelling.

  • Staff blog: Ali de Groot's "A Modern Memoirs Sabbatical" shares her anticipation for a sabbatical celebrating her two decades with the company, during which she plans to explore her own memoir writing, drawing inspiration from clients and diverse literary styles.

  • “5 Questions” author interview: Brian L. Dunsirn recounts preserving his father's stories in I Dunno and how his memoir, The Sky's the Limit, expands on this with his wife's input and his "sky's the limit" philosophy, detailing his move from Storyworth to Modern Memoirs for deeper storytelling.

November 2024

Thanksgiving Tears—Megan St. Marie highlights the value of family gatherings and shared stories in connecting generations and honoring ancestors, recalling her grandfather's heartfelt blessings as a testament to love and gratitude.

  • Staff blog: Lily Fitzgerald's blog post, "Meeting My Grandparents Through Family Stories," illustrates how family stories and memories fostered a connection with her deceased maternal grandparents, highlighting the power of narrative in bridging generations.

  • “5 Questions” author interview: Douglas Campbell discusses his genealogy, detailing his research, collaboration with Modern Memoirs, the debunking of a royal claim, and his motivation to preserve his family's surprisingly interesting history.

  • Featured book: Ali de Groot introduces The Deep Dark Light, a collaborative digital book of her reflective poems and Michele Théberge's meditative paintings, born from a long-distance friendship and inviting personal interpretation.

October 2024

Your “Paper Toasts”: One Chapter in a Forthcoming Company History—Megan St. Marie reflects on the heartwarming "paper toasts" received for Modern Memoirs' 30th anniversary, announcing their inclusion in a forthcoming company history, Cheers to 30 Years, and highlighting how working on this project provides valuable insight by putting the staff in their clients' shoes.

  • “5 Questions” author interview: "Boswell Carnegie, Esq." discusses his fictionalized book Rabbit-Hole Journey, explaining his choice to dramatize a true event, the insights gained through creative writing, his first-person perspective, and his view that fictionalized recollections should still convey the essence of the writer's honest perception.

  • Featured book: Ali de Groot showcases their designer's "magic" in turning author photos into evocative book covers, as seen with The Story of Us incorporating Lithuanian flag colors from a vintage postcard, emphasizing the advantage of in-house design informed by the book's nuances.

September 2024

Toasts to the Team!—Megan St. Marie shares toasts from Modern Memoirs' 30th-anniversary dinner honoring their founder and team, including Ali's 20 years, and thanks clients for their "paper toasts," promising more anniversary updates.

  • Staff blog: For her 20th anniversary, Ali de Groot reflects on her bereavement book, Learning to Speak, written years after her mother's death through a writing group led by Modern Memoirs' founder, sharing how it broke her silence, resurfaced memories, and inspired her career in helping others share their stories.

  • Staff blog: In Part 2 of her anniversary reflection, Ali de Groot discusses The Reader's Chair, an anthology from her long-running writers' group, emphasizing memoir's diverse forms, the power of writing to "taste life twice," the value of raw, unedited writing and initial feedback, and encouraging writers to find community or create their own to foster abundant writing.

  • Featured books: Ali de Groot recounts her volunteer work with the American Tribute Center, interviewing bereaved families and creating free keepsake books to honor those lost in the 9/11 attacks, highlighting the heartfelt efforts of many volunteers in this meaningful project.

August 2024

Home Sweet Home—Returning home after a trip, Megan St. Marie contrasts the comfort of her familiar surroundings with the idea of being "everywhere at home," appreciating her present stability while embracing life's unexpected changes.

  • “5 Questions” author interview: Gail Reimer reflects on her friendship with Evelyn Fox Keller and her role in publishing Keller's memoir, Making Sense of My Life in Science, before Keller's death, emphasizing Keller's wish to share her life and her joy in the final book.

  • Featured book: Ali de Groot reflects on Liane Lunny's memoir, Keep Smiling, highlighting Lunny's experiences in WWII Germany and her resilience, contrasted with her poignant "Favorite Sayings," including "Keep smiling" and "I am everywhere at home."



July 2024

Reasons and Purposes for Writing Memoirs—Megan St. Marie's outlines positive motivations for memoir writing, addresses her initial concerns about negative ones, and concludes that the core purpose is the desire for authentic visibility and audibility.

  • Staff blog: Megan St. Marie reflects on her family's 51st annual reunion at their ancestral homestead in Vermont, highlighting her father's heartfelt list of "reasons and purposes" for these gatherings—including reconnection, refreshment, and remembrance—and emphasizing the enduring importance of this special place for their family.

  • Staff blog: Ali de Groot explores why some memoir authors struggle to complete their books, citing reasons like the continuous flow of memories, perfectionism, fear of audience, and the disruptive impact of premature feedback, emphasizing that striving for "good" often trumps the pursuit of unattainable "perfect."

  • Featured book: Robert M. Kaufman's memoir, Paying Back: A Refugee Kid’s “Thank You” to America, recounts his rescue from Nazi Austria via Kindertransport, his eventual arrival in the US, and his accomplished legal career, underscoring his profound gratitude and the impact of selfless individuals who "do good."

June 2024

What Can I Do?—Moved by her 9/11 Memorial visit but disturbed by some behavior, Megan St. Marie searched for her priest's name, found a tribute, and reflected on Modern Memoirs' past work honoring victims, prompting thoughts on future similar projects.

  • “5 Questions” author interview: Nien-Tszr “Tom” Tsai and his wife Elizabeth discuss his two-volume bilingual autobiography, Hiking on the Mountain and Start Your Engine!, highlighting his upbringing in China, his life in the US as a mechanical engineer and driving instructor known for his encouraging "Keep going!" motto, his rewarding writing process, and Elizabeth's experience publishing his work with a special tête-bêche binding.

  • Staff blog: Modern Memoirs describes their first use of tête-bêche binding for a bilingual autobiography, where two inverted books are bound as one, equally showcasing both languages and inspiring ideas for future projects using this unique method.

May 2024

Unexpected Gifts—Megan St. Marie reflects on her unexpected enjoyment of biking to work after participating in Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day with her son, drawing a parallel to the unexpected gifts and deeper understanding that memoir writing can offer to both the author and their readers.

  • “5 Questions” author interview: Photographer Stephen Rostand discusses his new collection, It's Okay to Play, his shift to more color, key lessons from 60 years of photography, how it enhances his perspective, and his view on intention in his art.

  • Featured book: Ali de Groot shares an excerpt from the memoir of André A. Crispin, a Belgian who, as a young man during WWII, worked at a flour mill and secretly assisted his uncle in the Belgian Resistance by milling grain to prevent its requisition by the occupying German forces.

April 2024

Endlessly Fascinating—Megan St. Marie reflects on her visit to a YPO event in Florida, where the recurring theme was the desire to share values and legacy through memoirs, exemplified by potential clients wishing to publish deceased family members' poetry as tributes.

  • Staff blog: Megan St. Marie explores the history of a painting of a white horse passed down in her family, tracing its connection to her great-grandparents' farm with Percheron horses and sparking genealogical discoveries linking them to Percheron-raising ancestors in France, making the painting a tangible portal to her family's past.

  • “5 Questions” author interview: During National Poetry Month, Marian Leibold discusses her second collection, Bridges: Visible and Invisible, exploring poetry as "map-making," the symbolism of bridges and her cover art, her aging perspective, and her joy in sharing her poems with the world through publishing.

  • Featured book: Emma Solis reports on a well-attended screening of the documentary "Old Lesbians" featuring Edie Daly, author of Old Lesbian Memory Quilt, highlighting the engaged, intergenerational audience and Daly's inspiring message about the importance of living and telling one's story.

President Megan St. Marie reflects on her unexpected enjoyment of biking to work after participating in Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day with her son, drawing a parallel to the unexpected gifts and deeper understanding that memoir writing can offer to both the author and their readers.

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