Bex Hall

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behind the book

New 100 day project defined

Writing about objects as waypoints on a roadmap

Photo credit Dariusz Sankowski
Photo credit: Dariusz Sankowski

Why do we keep the objects we keep? 

We form emotional attachments to seemingly ordinary objects for various reasons. Maybe an object bore witness to a significant moment or event, or was a gift from a loved one, or perhaps it represents an important influence that shaped your life.

The treasures and trinkets on our walls and shelves, stashed in drawers, scrapbooks, and jewelry boxes, hold the stories that define who we are.

It is only in the world of objects that we have time and space and selves.”

— T.S. Eliot

I liken these objects we keep to waypoints on the roadmap of our lives. These waypoints mark the moments, from the mundane to the extraordinary, we experienced as we navigated the route of our life’s journey. 

From this, I’ve created the Objects as Waypoints Writing Project. For 100 days, I will write 50 short stories about the objects I’ve kept that represent the waypoints on my roadmap. 

This framework motivates me to examine the intersection of memory, emotion, and facts. I believe in writing these stories I will find answers to questions I don’t yet know how to ask. In the curation of objects alone, I’ve already found new understanding, patterns, and themes in my life I was unaware, because I never dug deep.

And now it’s time. 

Every few days, I’ll draft a story and share it with a photo.

That’s the plan.

I hope you’ll come along on my “road trip” and if you do, bring snacks and your favorite playlist.

Until next time, XOXO

#the100dayproject

History of photo sparks new project

A memoir-in-objects is on the drawing board

Grandpa’s photo circa 1940s?

In 1989, my dad came to visit and brought with him a 9×12 manila envelope full of photos from his father’s estate. I chose only one to keep. The one Grandpa snapped while he was in France, Dad explained.

It’s of an artist painting en plein air. Her canvas appears complete, but is she finished? Is that grandpa’s coat, because it looks masculine. Was she a lover or a stranger? Why this moment and what was Grandpa’s motivation?

Mystery unsolved, I tucked the photo away where it remained for 33 years. It slipped out of its stack the other day and, once again, the unanswered questions surfaced. 

I’ll never know the story behind this photo. But what if Grandpa had left behind a written account? What if he had written short stories about the things he kept? The objects that were important to him, for whatever reason.

This is the spark that ignited the idea for my 100 day project. 

Online, I discovered the Portland Art Museum has hosted Object Stories since 2010, a personal storytelling project and exhibition. I found and read “The Secret Life of Objects” by Dawn Raffel and other similar books.

The stories are poignant and honest. Objects we keep may seem ordinary to others, but can have deep and meaningful connections. This fascinates and resonates to my core. I hear a whisper and feel a nudge to pursue this.

I recently wrote “If only [what hangs on] these walls could talk” which describes the history behind some objects I cherish. I really enjoyed the process. Looking back to older pieces, I found many instances of memory writing where my voice was authentic.

I’ve wanted to write a memoir since 2014. I’ve taken classes and workshops, and written over 20K words and it’s gone nowhere. But this—this format, makes sense. The flip side of this coin contains a bonus: for the day I suspect my daughters may have questions, here will be some answers.

So far, I’ve gathered about 60 objects. I’ve filled out index cards for each, with brief descriptions of the memories, events, and people connected. It’s not all sorted yet, but that’s part of the fun, the plans and prep work. The project launches on February 13th and between now and then, I’ll keep at it and share what I learn as I go.

Until next time, xox.

The objects assembled

Our lives are the sum of our memories.”

—Joshua Foer