The Bird, the Oak, and the Stories that Build Us

This is a project combining creative writing and oral history research surrounding the life of my late grandfather, Kenneth Wesley Newman. In its pages, I delve into memory, history, and storytelling, seeking to identify which stories have held meaning for my family over time, and why. I have written my way chronologically through my grandfather’s life and interwoven his narrative with what I know now, what I remember, and the stories we continue to tell as a family. The interdisciplinary nature of this project led to a combination of creating writing and research, which included reading war-era letters, watching home videos of my grandfather telling stories before his death, and conducting informal oral history interviews with members of my family. While part of this project is about oral history preservation, it is also about exploring the meaning my grandfather’s stories have gained over time, and how they have built us as a family