WILLIAMSBURG — The father and son co-founders of Williamsburg-based memoir service Legacy Life Books, which launched in September, hope to preserve loved ones’ memories.
Adam Kennedy says with his background in journalism and global travels, he has interviewed over 1,000 people in his life, something his son, Canaan, witnessed growing up. He recalls hearing the stories, particularly of the veterans from World War II and Vietnam, whom his father was interviewing. Fascinated by the stories his father told, Canaan Kennedy went to school, eventually receiving a master’s in screenwriting and production in Milan, Italy.
They conceived Legacy Life Books last year after Canaan received a call that his grandfather on his mother’s side had passed away.
“It hit me that I hadn’t interviewed him. I hadn’t talked to him as much as I had wanted to. I didn’t have his story, and it was too late,” Canaan recalls. “It was a terrible feeling, and I thought about how I could create a company where we could capture people’s stories and the stories of people we love before it is too late, so that years from now, a hundred years from now, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren could read and even listen to the people that came before them and paved the way.”
A project takes 90 days from interviews to final product. As it believes that the individual’s voice is the best way to tell a story, the company focuses strictly on interviews. In addition, all provided photos are digitally enhanced and restored.
“It’s not about selling the books. That’s not what we’re about. We’re about capturing stories for people and their families and loved ones to pass down for generations,” explains Adam.
The process starts with a consultation, so they can meet the client, see what they’re thinking and how many people they want to have interviewed. From there, Adam will schedule a two-hour interview session with the client. Packages start from four hours of interviews, the rough equivalent of a 200-page book, and they take 30 to 60 photographs to digitally enhance.
Once this is complete, it is handed over to the editing team to edit and transcribe the interview and put it into book format. The proofs are then be sent to the client for approval. At the same time, the company works with the client to create a custom dust jacket.
Once everything is approved, the book is sent to print. In addition to the requested hard copies, the service also includes a hard drive with the interviews stored on it. All is be delivered in a keepsake box when the process is finished.
To learn more about the process or see what options are available, visit the official website.
