ABOUT

My name is Daniel Stewart. I’m by training a historian (I have a Ph.D. in American cultural history) and by vocation a writer, with a specialty in personal essay and memoir. I have had a lifelong fascination with stories — how to find them, how to listen to them, and ultimately how to make them, too.

Since I moved to Leelanau County, Michigan, in 2004, I’ve pursued stories by way of editing and designing books, producing radio stories, doing some oral storytelling, and by writing my own stories. It’s my calling, I suppose, to tell stories — and to help other people tell stories, too. That’s why I founded History by Design. “Design” signals not only that that we must give shape to our stories when we share them, but also that telling (and listening to) stories is about intent.

I’m currently writing both a memoir on caring for my late mother-in-law, who suffered from dementia (my working title is Evening All Afternoon), as well as a novel, What You Wish For. I’m a past president of Michigan Writers, Inc., and in my spare time do pretty much what I do for work.

I think that telling stories is, to quote Dave Isay, founder of StoryCorps, “an act of love.” Your stories are almost certainly more interesting than you know, and your own life is less known than you think. Be sure to share your own stories.

If I can help you, please contact me using the form below.