Memories Into Memoirs
We All Have A Story To Tell
I Can Help You Tell Yours
Are there significant stories in your life that you would like to share with others—with family members, friends, associates, clients, the world-at-large?
I can help you create a memoir that captures notable times in your life—or in the lives of your parents, children, and other special people.
Formative experiences
Significant milestones
Memorable moments
Major achievements
I can also help you craft a longer piece that captures your life story—or that preserves the memory and spirit of a loved one.
An autobiography
A biography
A profile
A family history
I'll help you organize and develop your story—and I'll assist with all phases of the research, writing, editing, and publishing process.
The result? A gracefully written, handsomely illustrated book. A legacy. A family heirloom. A distinctive gift. A lasting treasure.
Let’s strike up a conversation. I'll listen carefully to your ideas. We'll assess the nature and scope of the project—and go from there.
Orlo J. Otteson
651-278-4824
otteson@aol.com
In addition to offering individual one-on-one writing and editing assistance, I have established a memoir education program that I think can help writers (at all skill levels) develop memoir writing expertise. This program is being developed and managed by the Center for Value Inquiry, a tax-exempt [501 c 3] organization that I established in 1997 and continue to lead. I hope you'll take a moment to review the pages below.
MEMORIES INTO MEMOIRS
THE PROGRAM
Over the past several years, I have been helping individuals from all parts of the country develop memoirs—compelling accounts of their lives and the lives of special family members. I have seen first-hand the therapeutic benefits and deep satisfactions these writers (of all ages and backgrounds) derive from the memoir writing experience, and I am daily impressed by the depth and quality of the their life stories.
Through my Web site (www.memoir-edit.com), I offer a free fifty-page Memoir Guide; and from time to time I receive communications from individuals who are leading memoir writing groups—in nursing homes, senior centers, schools, and other settings. These leaders are looking for guidance and support, and through my interactions with them I’ve identified some needs that I think can be effectively addressed.
I see a need for instructional materials that can help both instructor and student (so-called) address the memoir writing challenges:
- One set would help leaders communicate the essence of memoir writing—and convey the proven tactics and strategies that lead to an effective story.
- Another set would give group participants a step-by-step process for starting and sustaining a well-told story—and for achieving their writing objectives.
As a professional writer/editor, and a teacher at both the secondary and university levels, I feel I’m well-equipped to develop these materials, to test them, and to assist in their implementation.
The project would be developed and managed by the Center for Value Inquiry, a nonprofit, tax-exempt [501 c 3] organization that I established in 1997—and that I continue to lead. The materials would be freely distributed to individuals and groups, although we would ask for a donation.
We are seeking a gift (tax-deductible) that would allow us to continue our work and that would sustain our activities over the coming year. The following pages provide further information about our plans and needs—together with information about me and the Center for Value Inquiry.
I hope our project engages your interest—or perhaps the interest of someone you know. I am free to meet with you at any time, and I look forward to your response.
Orlo J. Otteson
THE PLAN
We envision a twelve-month, four-phase development period—divided into four, three-month time frames.
Phase One: This phase would involve the research and initial development of memoir writing materials—for both group leaders and group participants. We would draw from my direct experience, and we would examine the methods others have used in helping writers develop an engaging, well-constructed, well-told story. We are interested in developing both written and digital materials—software that would allow independent activity, under the overall guidance of a leader.
Phase Two: This phase would involve the initial testing of the materials with leaders and groups in the Twin Cities area and elsewhere. We would compile specific evidence of the strategies, tactics, means, and methods that actually work—that most effectively support group instruction and stimulate independent progress. These materials would be tested on a variety of groups, from schoolchildren (yes, kids can write memoirs), to senior citizens, and everyone in between. We would test them in various settings, and we would strive to understand the specific needs of specific groups.
Phase Three: This phase would involve the analysis of our research results and the further refinement of methods and materials. At this point, we would be able to examine the stories writers have developed and the ways in which the instruction has supported and influenced them. Thus, our conclusions would be based on “real world” testing and concrete results.
Phase Four: This phase would involve the design and production of the materials and the development of a plan for identifying groups and for distributing materials. We would not charge for the advising services and the materials (at least initially). But we would ask for a gift to help cover expenses. Nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations are allowed to develop profit-making programs, so long as the proceeds go back into the organization. We would explore ways in which our activities could be self-sustaining.
BENEFITS
To recipients: Autobiographical writing provides some immediate and long-term benefits:
- Memoir writing can help individuals of all ages capture their stories—and more fully comprehend their life experiences.
- Memoir writing can provide coherence to a life that has at times seemed chaotic and disjointed. Through the writing experience, individuals can discover themes, continuities, and meanings that add clarity and significance to their lives.
- Memoir writing can assuage grief and heal old wounds. It can improve mood, outlook, and overall well-being.
- Memoir writing can help young people more clearly understand the transition into adulthood—and the accompanying dramatic tensions.
- Memoir writing can bring pleasure and joy into one’s life. It can help capture the successes, satisfactions, and happy moments in a life—and can help individuals see more clearly the positive events and experiences that have shaped their lives.
To donors. In recent years, the nature of charitable giving—and the views of donors, large and small—have shifted. Many of today’s donors are moving away from simple “check book” giving. They are looking for greater involvement—and concrete evidence that their gift is making a difference. At the Center for Value Inquiry (CVI), we not only encourage involvement in our activities—we see it as an integral part of our overall program. We think a donation to the memoir writing project can give you some concrete benefits and satisfactions:
- You will gain a tax break. CVI is a tax-exempt [501 c 3] organization. Gifts are tax deductible.
- You will see your dollars at work—you will see the concrete products (stories and books) that come out of the memoir writing groups.
- You will see first hand the therapeutic benefits and large satisfactions memoir writers gain from the writing experience.
- You will be allowed (indeed, encouraged) to provide ongoing guidance—and to actively participate in the program.
- You will become part of a project that contributes to a community’s culture, while enriching the lives of all participants.
PROPOSED TWELVE-MONTH BUDGET
1) Office rental 3,000
2) Salary 24,000
3) Computer equipment 1,500
4) Office supplies/furnishings 1,000
5) Travel/transportation expenses 1,000
6) Consultation expenses 1,000
7) Design/printing expenses 2,000
8) Financial management expense 500
9) Material distribution and marketing expense 1,500
10) Miscellaneous 500
Total: 36,000
ABOUT THE CENTER FOR VALUE INQUIRY
1) What is the Center for Value Inquiry (CVI)?
The Center for Value Inquiry is a nonprofit, nonsectarian, nonpartisan, tax-exempt research and education institution dedicated to developing value-laden projects that enrich the lives of individual, families, and communities.
Over the past decade, the Center has addressed a number of health care issues—and has published well-received books around the subjects of health care reform, long-term care, and Alzheimer's disease family care giving. We’ve recently been exploring the nature and uses of life story writing, and we have compiled strong evidence of it value to individuals of all ages and from all backgrounds.
2) What special capabilities does CVI bring to its mission?
First, our small interdisciplinary team, with its broad professional and scholarly background, possesses the ability to reach into various academic disciplines, to gather and synthesize information, and to formulate methods and materials that reach a general audience.
Second, since we operate outside the strictures of formal academic, political, religious, governmental, and business life, we possess the freedom to explore social issues in an unbiased, unfettered fashion—and to examine contentious (and non-contentious) issues in a free-ranging fashion.
Third, our dedication to community service, together with our ability to address various value-laden family and community concerns, allows us to work cooperatively and effectively with a wide range of socially-committed community groups.
3) Who directs CVI activities?
We are currently led by a president, Orlo J. Otteson, and a small, informal advisory group. We are seeking to establish a permanent, dynamic board of directors that will provide development and program expertise—and overall long-range leadership.
4) What is the source of CVI funding?
We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian, tax-exempt [501 (c) (3)] research and education organization. All contributions are tax-deductible.
5) How can I get involved with CVI?
We seek your interest and involvement. We are also interested in discussing any subjects that interest and concern you—and that you think merit exploration. If you have any questions about our mission—or if you simply wish to get acquainted—give me (Orlo Otteson) a call (651-278-4824) or drop me a line (otteson@aol.com). I’ll respond promptly.
ABOUT ORLO J. OTTESON
To begin at the beginning, I was born in Chickasaw County, Iowa, in a house my immigrant grandfather built. The house still stands, although the other buildings on the small farm are no longer there. The town of Jerico, a mile away, has had the same number of inhabitants—twenty-five, more or less—ever since I can remember. When I turned six, my family moved to Osage, where I entered school.
The country around Osage, in northeastern Iowa, is gently rolling farmland, breaking here and there into patches of woodland and an occasional stream. It is fine country and well-adapted to the pursuits of boyhood. The streams seem somewhat shrunken now and the woodlands denuded of their shadowy romance, but certain spots there, and farther east, where I spent summers on my uncle's farm, are among my most vivid recollections.
With a dedication that I look back on with a mixture of admiration and some disbelief, I pursued and captured an Iowa state high school wrestling championship—an achievement that earned me a scholarship to the University of Wisconsin. After three years of intercollegiate competition—this following six years of interscholastic competition—my interests turned to literature, history, and politics; and I returned to Iowa, where I received a bachelor of arts in English from Luther College.
Following a stint in the U.S. Army and after three demanding but rewarding years as a Minneapolis high school English teacher, I entered the graduate Program in American Studies at the University of Minnesota, where I immersed myself in the task of further understanding what Henry James called "the complex fate of being an American." During that time, I taught courses in English composition and American Studies and served as an academic adviser in the College of Liberal Arts. After some further work in the field of education, my interest in writing deepened, and I turned to a journalism career.
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I'm an optimist. I think God loves Americans and drunkards and keeps them, for the most part, out of the way of passing cars. I'm a skeptic though. I believe that wise skepticism is the first attribute of a good critic. I accept Mark Twain's view that soap and education are less sudden than a massacre, but more deadly in the long run. I admire those who have the audacity to speak out—and keep speaking out—against injustice, sham, and inequality. I believe in writing good, standard English, but I also believe that writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar. I try always to do right: this gratifies some people and astonishes the rest. I yearn for significance. I can take a joke.
