How it works
From one phone call to a book with their name on it.
1. You tell us about them — once
Five minutes: their name, the stories you hope they'll tell, and when they like to talk. That's the last form anyone fills out. We email you to confirm a time — we never call unannounced.
2. Consent comes first, in their own words
Before any interview begins, Boswell asks plainly, on the recording, whether they'd like their stories written down — and says plainly that he is an AI, arranged by someone who admires them. If the answer is anything but a clear yes, the call ends warmly and nothing is kept. “Let's talk about something else” works at any moment, on any subject, every time.
3. The conversation
A relaxed half hour on their own phone — no app, no screen, nothing to prepare. Boswell asks the questions a good listener would, then listens. He never asks about money, accounts, or anything a stranger shouldn't — that rule is absolute.
4. The chapter — and they see it first
Their words are shaped into a written chapter — edited as lightly or as deeply as they prefer, and nothing is ever invented. The storyteller reads it before anyone else, decides what should change, and decides who may read it. Sharing is deliberate, never automatic.
5. The book
Chapters accumulate into a real hardcover with their name on the cover. The storyteller owns every word, forever — and can export everything, any time. Private stories are never used to train AI models.
Questions people ask first
Will they know they're talking to an AI?
Yes. We say so plainly before the first question, and Boswell says so himself if anyone asks. Honesty is the foundation the whole thing stands on.
What if they'd rather not talk about something?
Then it isn't talked about. Any subject can be waved off, and the storyteller decides what appears in every chapter and who reads it.
Do they need a smartphone or a computer?
No. Any phone that rings will do. Chapters arrive in writing — by email and on a private page — and sharing them is the storyteller's to give. No screen required to tell the stories.
What does it cost?
The first chapter is free, with no card. The Memoir Project — six to eight calls and a hardcover — is $495. The Standing Call, a weekly conversation with monthly chapters, is $89 a month.
Who owns the stories?
The storyteller, entirely and only. They read every chapter first and decide who else may. We never train AI models on private stories, and phone numbers are never shared for marketing.