April’s focus is simple, but it matters deeply to me.

Pull Up a Chair is about sitting with the people who are still here—and making space for their stories before it’s too late.

This month isn’t about formal interviews or perfectly recorded oral histories. It’s about conversation. The kind that happens when you slow down, ask one good question, and let it unfold.

I’m focusing on short, intentional conversations—about 15 to 20 minutes—with multiple relatives. Some of these happen in person. Others happen through voice memos, emails, texts, or social messages. What matters isn’t the format. What matters is showing up and asking.

I’ve learned that stories don’t always surface when we schedule an interview. They surface when things feel natural. When curiosity leads. When we follow a tangent instead of pulling the conversation back on track.

That’s where the good stories live.

Keeping It Small (On Purpose)

One of the biggest barriers people face with this kind of work is the fear that it has to feel official. Like you need a list of questions. Or a recording setup. Or the right moment.

You don’t.

This month, I’m using Storied Starter cards and asking a variety of relatives just one question. Sometimes it’s in person. Sometimes it’s a message sent late in the evening. Sometimes it’s a follow-up to a story that almost slipped by.

I don’t want it to feel like an interview. I want it to feel like an invitation.

I ask open-ended prompts and let the conversation wander. I follow tangents. I listen for what lights people up—or what makes them pause. Those moments often lead to the stories I’ve never heard before.

And that’s the point.

What This Month Is Really About

April isn’t about volume. It’s about presence.

One conversation is enough. One story is enough. Sitting down with one person—really listening—is enough.

For me, success this month looks like a single meaningful conversation. A detail I didn’t know. A memory told differently than before. A story that only surfaced because I asked—and then stayed quiet long enough to hear the answer.

If you’re joining me this month, here’s your invitation:

Pull up a chair. Sit down with at least one person. Ask one open-ended question. Then listen.

You don’t need to capture everything. You don’t need to do it perfectly. You just need to begin.

Some stories are waiting patiently.
They just need you to sit down.

If this felt meaningful, you can continue the journey with the full Year of Curated Kin challenge here.