Like a great film, this art of storytelling card deck follows a cinematic arc: a beginning that grounds us, a middle that tests us, and an end that transforms us, reflecting the real journey of a life, a family, and a culture.
Buy now — $35
The Home Interview Guide — a 12-page companion booklet for talking with, and truly listening to, the people who raised you.
This booklet is the perfect companion to help you continue guiding these meaningful, intergenerational interviews in the comfort of your own home.
Buy now — $15
Preserve Voices & Gathering, our guided art of storytelling workshop, uses journalist Wilkine Brutus’ 5 essential interviewing skills to teach people how to interview their parents and love ones.
Wilkine Brutus is an Murrow award-winning public media journalist, founder of Preserve Voices® and Maps & Diaries, a family documentary platform.
After Brutus spent years documenting his life in South Korea as a YouTuber, a 2013 visit from his Haitian mother inspired a shift in his storytelling. In 2018, this experience culminated in the launch of the podcast A Boat, A Voyage, dedicated to uncovering his mother's immigrant experience. The podcast’s success sparked a popular live workshop, which ultimately led to the creation of the card deck.
His journalism work has been featured in "At the Vanguard," a history book by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The 54-card deck is guided by a cinematic three-act structure: Origins, Crossroads, and Legacy. This deliberate pacing helps you ease into the conversation with early-life memories, naturally navigate through pivotal life decisions, and conclude with deep reflections on heritage and life lessons.
We designed the Preserve Voices deck to feel like a premium, durable keepsake that can be passed down. Here are the specific design and manufacturing details. Preserve Voices is manufactured in Florida.
The cards are standard "bridge size" (2.25" x 3.5" with smooth 3.5mm rounded corners); The deck is printed on thick, durable cardstock (310gsm) with an embossed linen finish; he deck arrives securely shrink-wrapped in a sleek matte box. To make the artwork pop, we added premium raised "spot gloss" (Spot UV); Every box includes a perfectly sized mini bi-fold instruction sheet (2.25" x 3.5") that fits right inside, helping you start your interview smoothly.
Not at all. The prompts are specifically engineered to remove the pressure of coming up with the "right" questions. Whether you have a background in storytelling or are just looking to capture your family history for the first time, the cards guide you step-by-step through a meaningful, natural interview.
Absolutely. While the deck is built as an ideal framework for interviewing parents about family history, the three-act structure works beautifully for interviewing grandparents, spouses, mentors, or anyone whose personal narrative you want to document and preserve.
