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Shaking Your Family Tree

August 6, 1998
	LEARNING CHANNEL SEEKS REUNION STORIES by Myra Vanderpool Gormley, C.G.
Banyan Productions seeks heart-warming stories for "Reunion'' -- a new daily, documentary television series premiering this fall on The Learning Channel. The TV producers are interested in reunions whose origins date back 10 or more years ago, and that are taking place from now through November. It has already produced a wide variety of programs. Among the more emotional stories is a reunion of an American soldier with the lieutenant who saved his life in Vietnam 30 years ago; the performance of former college choir members who are honoring their conductor -- a man who recently lost nearly all of his hearing; and the experience of a teenager and her adoptive parents finding her birthmother. Reunions have a great appeal in the '90s, according to SaraKay Smulles. A marriage and family therapist, she is the author of Whoever Said Life is Fair? According to Smulles, interest in reunions today is popular because there is: -- the need to recall a time of innocence, or a time we thought was innocent -- the longing to find the love that got away -- the desire to seek unequivocal acceptance of a childhood friend -- the need to do a "maturity checkup'' -- to need to see our enemies and rivals and prove that we can let go of feelings of ill will that may have existed in the past Adding to the emotional reasons why reunions -- other than traditional family reunions -- have become a trend is the advancement of technology. Communicating has become much easier through the Internet and the explosion of websites that allow users to search for information that can bring people together. If you have a warm-and-fuzzy story about a reunion that falls into the specification above, please contact Valerie Skinkus or Marianne Vogel at Banyan Productions in Philadelphia at (215) 928-4034. STAR BREAK FAMILY CHRONICLE MAGAZINE If you haven't yet discovered the magazine Family Chronicle, you're in for a treat. Now in its second year, this beautifully produced and informative genealogical magazine includes articles on various topics of interest to genealogists worldwide, such as those pertaining to: -- national and ethnic origins -- genealogical societies -- research techniques -- technological tips (scanners, photos, computers, websites/Internet subjects) -- surnames (meanings and origins) -- historical subjects The current issue (July/August 1998) contains articles on: -- 10 Tips for Using Your Scanner Effectively -- English Public Records Office -- Restoring Damaged Photos -- Internet Search Engines Compared -- Using Maps in Genealogy -- French in North America -- Writing About Female Ancestors Family Chronicle is available, (888) 326-2476, for an annual subscription of $21 (six issues) in the United States (for other rates and additional information, please see its Web site: http://www.familychronicle.com). A bargain, currently available ($25 postpaid), is the Family Chronicle Collection. This compiled collection features articles reprinted from the magazine's first year, dating from September 1996 to August 1997. You can order this 248-page publication by calling toll-free, (888) 326-2476, and using your Visa or MasterCard. Its U.S. snail-mail address is: Family Chronicle, P.O. Box 1201, Lewiston, NY 14092-9934. (c) 1998, Los Angeles Times Syndicate Myra Vanderpool Gormley and Julie Case are co-editors of Missing Links, a free weekly genealogy e-zine. To subscribe, send your request to: Missing Links Newsletter Return to Myra Vanderpool Gormley Main Page Return to Columns Main Page
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