Modern Memoirs

10/31/2024

At the Modern Memoirs 30th anniversary dinner, we surprised company founder Kitty Axelson-Berry and Director of Publishing Ali de Groot with the first draft of a planned company history. Click the link below to read our October newsletter, "Your "Paper Toasts": One Chapter in a Forthcoming Company History," in which we share more about this project, as well as other news and inspiration from clients and staff. https://conta.cc/3AmFuVy

10/30/2024

Did the happy client who sent our staff from the Green Mountain State know that our company president is a 7th generation Vermonter? We don't think so, but she and the rest of the Modern Memoirs team were all delighted to receive this "sweet" thank-you gift today.

10/22/2024

Our latest client interview is here! Our client used a pseudonym for this “fictionalized memoir,” a unique and terrifically fun project for our staff.

“Boswell Carnegie, Esq.,” the pseudonym used by our client, published his book entitled Rabbit-Hole Journey: A Fictionalized Recollection of How the Fort Pitt Icemen Were Saved One Score and Five Years Ago with Modern Memoirs in 2024. This work of fiction, inspired by actual events, took just si...

10/22/2024

Our latest client interview is here! Our client used a pseudonym for this “fictionalized memoir," a unique and terrifically fun project for our staff. Look for the post featuring Boswell Carnegie on our blog.

10/13/2024

We have a young helper at our sales table hosted by on Main Street in Northampton, MA today! Stop by to say hello and purchase books and gifts this afternoon 📚❤️📚

10/11/2024

In anticipation of Modern Memoirs' 30th anniversary dinner at the restaurant last month, we sent a mailing to past and current clients, inviting them to reply with a “Paper Toast” to read aloud around the table.

The effect was just what we'd hoped it would be at our celebration: we felt our clients’ presence with us as we fondly recalled them and their projects, and we delighted in their reflections on their publishing experiences. Some messages were short and sweet, some were long and heartfelt, and one was even written in rhymed verse! Click below to read these heartfelt, much appreciated words from our wonderful authors. https://www.modernmemoirs.com/mmblog/2024/10/dozens-and-dozens-of-paper-toasts

10/08/2024

10/08/2024

We just made a delicious field trip to a new business in our neighborhood. ☕🥐🫖🧁☕

10/08/2024

Free shipping alert! Today and tomorrow, buy books online through our bookshop.org affiliate link to support our business and independent bookstores nationwide: https://bookshop.org/shop/memorylanebooks

10/08/2024

Are you planning to buy books online today? Would you like free shipping? If so, consider using our bookshop.org affiliate link https://bookshop.org/shop/memorylanebooks where all purchases support our business and independent bookstores nationwide.

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10/04/2024

"As a young child dreaming of my future career, I knew I wanted to somehow be involved in the creation of books...."

This is how Publishing Intern Lily Fitzgerald introduces herself in her bio, and we are delighted to have her join us from the UMass Amherst Commonwealth Honors College for the fall 2024 semester. In addition to her passion for books, Lily brings experience in marketing to her new role, and it's been very exciting to see her dive into her work with our team.

Read more about Lily on the Meet the Staff page of the Modern Memoirs website. https://www.modernmemoirs.com/meet-the-staff

10/02/2024

Thanks to the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce for hosting our window display! Book Designer Nicole Miller did an outstanding job setting up the display, and we’re delighted to have this special opportunity to showcase our business during our 30th anniversary year. 📚❤️

09/30/2024

Our September 2024 newsletter, "Toasts to the Team!" is here. Read for news and inspiration from Modern Memoirs in our 30th anniversary year: https://conta.cc/3N3LoxH

09/29/2024

✍🏼📚❤️

Author Teresa Wong shares three worthwhile reasons why to write your family's story.

09/27/2024

In this issue of Résonance, Denis Ledoux’s memoir, French Boy, is reviewed by company president Megan St. Marie. .

09/26/2024

"Lessons Learned at Modern Memoirs: A Farewell Post from Publishing Associate Emma Solis"

https://www.modernmemoirs.com/mmblog/2024/9/lessons-learned-at-modern-memoirs

09/26/2024

Join us on Saturday, October 5 for "Why We Love Cemetaries" with Roberto Mighty!

Roberto Mighty’s parents used to recite poetry in a local cemetery. When he grew up, he became an award-winning filmmaker, TV producer and multimedia artist. Roberto will lead a lecture/screening/Q&A about three of his original cemetery projects: the PBS series "World’s Greatest Cemeteries"; the augmented reality colonial graveyard project, “We Were Here Too,” and his inaugural artist residency at Mount Auburn Cemetery, “earth.sky”.

Learn more about this event: https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/66cc8a1f21e6c72900ddb25a

09/19/2024

Director of Publishing Alison “Ali” de Groot began her official employment at Modern Memoirs in September 2004. In honor of her 20th anniversary this year, we are presenting a two-part blog series in which we asked de Groot to reflect on two books of her own. Last month, in Part 1, she discussed Learning to Speak, a bereavement book dedicated to her mother, which de Groot published herself in 1999. In Part 2 below, we look into The Reader’s Chair: An Anthology of Memoirs-in-Progress, edited by de Groot and published by Modern Memoirs in 2018.

Director of Publishing Alison “Ali” de Groot began her official employment at Modern Memoirs in September 2004. In honor of her 20th anniversary this year, we are presenting a two-part blog series in which we asked de Groot to reflect on two books of her own. Last month, in Part 1, she discussed...

09/13/2024

Read a blog post about a new Digital Book we’ve created to share a series of client interviews:

As a special project to celebrate Modern Memoirs’ 30th anniversary, our staff decided to compile client interviews from our monthly “Reflections” blog series into a Digital Book entitled Five Questions: Reflections from Modern Memoirs Authors . Genealogist Liz Sonnenberg has been writing the ....

09/08/2024

Come see Modern Memoirs, Inc. on this lovely Sunday at the on Main St., Northampton! We have a table full of books as well as gifts for readers and writers, or come down and sign up for our mailing list. This time, we are located directly in front of Pinch, next to Spill the Tea Sis, the organizer of the Sunday Block Parties. So far there’s been lovely weather, lots of dogs, and great live music! Come down if you’re in the area, from now till 5pm.

09/03/2024

Director of Publishing Alison “Ali” de Groot began her official employment at Modern Memoirs in September 2004. In honor of her 20th anniversary this year, we are presenting a two-part blog series in which we asked de Groot to reflect on two books of her own. In Part 1, she discusses Learning to Speak (pictured here), a bereavement book dedicated to her mother, which de Groot published herself in 1999.

Director of Publishing Alison “Ali” de Groot began her official employment at Modern Memoirs in September 2004. In honor of her 20th anniversary this year, we are presenting a two-part blog series in which we asked de Groot to reflect on two books of her own. In Part 1 below, she discusses Learn...

08/30/2024

We often turn to old newspaper archives when researching and fact-checking client projects. These online resources can also provide levity, as demonstrated by this Labor Day cartoon found on chroniclingamerica.loc.gov, and originally printed on August 28, 1932 in The Evening Star (Washington, D.C.). Apparently, people have been complaining about crowded vacation spots for quite some time! As our staff heads into the long holiday weekend, we wish everyone a safe and happy Labor Day, and good luck avoiding the crowds.