Story Makers

The Making of a Storyteller
When I lost my father 19 years ago, all his stories went with him. His passing stirred in me the desire to be a mother, to add chapters to my own life.“I promised myself my child would know the special man that was his grandfather; that he would understand what it...

Renia’s Diary: A Holocaust Journal
Renia Spiegel began writing her diary as a teenager in Poland on Jan. 31, 1939. By July 30, 1942, at only 2 months past her 18th birthday, like young diarist Anne Frank, she was murdered by the Nazis. The diary was kept for years by Zygmunt Schwarzer, the boy Renia...

Traces of Lapis Lazuli and other meaningful revelations
When I recently came across an article titled, “Why a Medieval Woman Had Lapis Lazuli Hidden in Her Teeth,” I had to read it. The subtitle, “An analysis of dental plaque illuminates the forgotten history of female scientists,” made it doubly intriguing. While stories...

My New Ear
Facing surgery can be a difficult experience for a child. Young Lianna was facing a procedure to correct her mis-formed and very small ear – a condition called Microtia – and lack of a proper ear canal by having a brand-new, functioning ear made for her by world...

Preserving One’s Family History Makes a Priceless Gift
As a young bride, Maria Rosa Ragazzo left behind everyone and everything she ever knew to start a new life in America. For years to come, she would stay in touch with her family in Italy through letters. The trouble was that Rose, as she was called, was illiterate....

A Catalogue of Blessings: The Legacy of a Montreal Woman
“It is not about the years in your life, but the life in your years.” Rosalind “Roz” Goodman was fortunate to have both. Born in Canada, Rosalind Goodman, the granddaughter of Jews who fled Russia for freedom and opportunity, embodied the principle of tikkun olam -...

Husband Honors Wife’s Memory by Publishing Her Manuscript
Of the many ways custom publisher A Life in Print has helped honor the legacy of a loved one, the story of Henry J. Sandler and Rhoda Fishman Sandler wins the prize for “most romantic.” After Henry’s wife passed away at the age of 85, a manuscript for a children’s...
A Life in Recipes
A personal history could be told through words or pictures, or a combination of the two. But when that person has a passion for cooking, his or her story could alternatively be told through a collection of recipes. The Samba Montclair Cookbook: Authentic Home-style...

Tell Your Story!
A wonderful piece in the Classic Chicago Magazine about Bonnie Bell and the work we do together.