How to Handle Difficult or Uncomfortable Facts When Writing Family History: Episode 144

Lisa interviews author Annette Gendler about how to address difficult or uncomfortable information when writing your family’s history. Plus, tips from our DNA expert on how to persuade relatives to take a DNA test, as well as a closer look at the genealogy resources available at the State Library of Pennsylvania. Ep. 144: December 2020 Back to the episode list In this episode: Tree Talk (01:28) Lisa shares Family Tree Magazine Podcast listener May Smith’s story of genealogical success. Share your story of discovery and you may just hear it here on the Family Tree Magazine Podcast! Email your story to: [email protected] Featured Interview: Annette Gendler (05:16) Families and family histories can get a bit messy. And when you’re trying to write the family’s story, you’re eventually faced with how to deal with the blemishes that you come across, and whether or not you should or shouldn’t include them. Author Annette Gendler is the author of the book How to Write Compelling Stories from Family History. She recently tackled these questions in her recent article for the September/October 2020 issue of Family Tree Magazine. You can find an online version of the article below. You can learn more about Annette on her website: annettegendler.com How to Handle “Blemishes” When Writing Family Stories Research may turn up your ancestor’s “blemishes,” shameful actions or traits. One writer explores whether you should include them in your family’s stories. Family Tree Magazine /* Embedded-box css */ .embedded-box{ padding: 25px; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.5; color: #82878c; background: #fff; border: 1px solid #e5e5e5; box-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgba(0,0,0,.05); overflow: auto; zoom: 1; font-family: -apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,"Segoe UI",Roboto,Oxygen-Sans,Ubuntu,Cantarell,"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif; } .acf-embed-title{ margin: 0 0 15px; font-weight: 600; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.3; } .acf-embed-description { display: inline-block; } .acf-embed-description img { float: left; max-width: 160px; margin-right: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px; } .wp-embed-site-title a{ position: relative; display: inline-block; padding-left: 35px; } .wp-embed-site-title span { color: #82878c; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 600; } .wp-embed-site-icon { position: absolute; top: 50%; left: 0;