Get their stories down while you still can ask.
Kettle Stories phones your parent or grandparent once a week with one good question. They just talk, on any phone, even a landline. You get the recording and a written transcript, and after a year, a book of their stories.
We're testing whether people want this before building it. Nothing is for sale yet.
How it works
Pick the questions
Choose from a starter list ("What was your first job?", "How did you two meet?") or write your own. Pick a day and time that suits them.
We call them each week
One question per call. No app, no login, no typing. They talk for as long as they like, and can skip any question.
You get their story
The recording and a clean transcript are emailed to the family. After 12 months, every story comes together as a downloadable book.
Pricing
Planned price ยท not launched yet
US$49 for the first year
- One storyteller, up to 52 weekly calls
- Every recording plus a written transcript
- Share with as many family members as you like
- Downloadable book (PDF) of all the stories
- Printed hardcover: planned as an optional extra, price not set
No payment is taken. The price may change before launch; you would see the final price before paying anything.
Join the waitlist
Thanks for your interest! Kettle Stories isn't available yet, so there's nothing to reserve or buy today. Leave your email and we'll tell you when it's ready.
We'll email you when Kettle Stories is ready. That's all.
Questions
Is this available now?
No. Kettle Stories is an idea we're testing. If enough people join the waitlist we'll build it, and you'll get one email when it's ready. If not, we'll delete the list.
Who is behind it?
Cody Johnston, an independent builder in Lewisporte, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Contact details are at the bottom of this page.
Does my parent need a smartphone or computer?
No. The plan is a normal phone call to any number, landline included.
Who owns the recordings?
Your family would. The plan is that you can download every recording and transcript at any time and delete them whenever you want.
Privacy
If you join, we store your email address, the box you ticked and when, and which link brought you here (for example a Reddit post). We use it only for this waitlist: no selling, no sharing, no ads. We delete it 12 months after you sign up.
To stop emails, use the unsubscribe link in any email we send. To have your address deleted sooner, email kettlestories@theweirdcanadian.ca with the subject "Delete my data" from the address you signed up with; we'll delete it and confirm.
We also count page visits and button clicks anonymously, by which link you came from. There are no third-party trackers. A small first-party cookie (ks_src, 30 days) remembers that link; your IP address is kept only as a scrambled hash for spam protection and deleted after a day.