the CELESTIAL Collection
Our books leave your family and community with an irreplaceable heirloom. We begin with a conversation, listening for which stories most want to be told. From there, we lovingly tailor one of our heirloom offerings for you, and it is composed by lifelong personal writer Jessica Rios.
Offering writing workshops for seniors in Sonoma and Marin Counties ✍🏼✨
the COSMOS
Our COSMOS Book tells the story of a place through the lens of a featured person, with contributions from others who’ve played an important role in the place’s history. Through interviews and research, we curate an heirloom book with stories, quotes, letters, photographs and other visuals that celebrate the history and significance of this place. Project duration is 6-12 months.
honoring a place
the GALAXY
Our GALAXY Memoir tells the story of one person’s life through their own lens, with contributions from family members, friends and other significant people who know them. We conduct numerous interviews and curate a heartfelt book with stories, quotes, photographs and letters that compose an heirloom album. Also available for couples, as the subject. Project duration is 4-6 months.
honoring a person
Printing options vary by format and vision; billed separately.
Transparent pricing, no surprises, flexible timelines.
Travel, when required, invoiced separately.
“I don't know anywhere loving presence is embodied as much as it is with Jessica Rios.”
S. Woodley PhD, 30-year clinical psychologist
A memoir is more than a book. It is a bridge of connection for the next generation.
Every life and every place is one-of-a-kind. Our memoirs and biographies of place are collaboratively composed heirloom books honoring the legacy of a person or a place of significance.
Through deep listening, heartfelt conversations and research, I gather the stories that shaped a life or defined a place, preserving their heart, humor and wisdom for generations.
Each chapter is crafted collaboratively, as I invite a circle of loved ones or community members to contribute anecdotes and words of gratitude. These contributions can be gathered quietly and revealed only when the finished book is placed in the main subject’s hands, creating a meaningful surprise.
A Life in Letters &
the Living Library
Writing Workshops for Seniors
What Is… A Life in Letters?
A Life in Letters is a workshop series designed and led by lifelong letter writer Jessica Rios. The workshops are focused on the core of life — relationships — guiding participants through the pleasurable and therapeutic art of personal correspondence. Letters can be written to people who are still alive or to deceased loved ones, to celebrities or larger-than-life recipients like the Sun or Moon, God or Planet Earth, or to our own body or inner self-critic.
Letter writing is a deeply personal art form — a direct line from one life and heart to another. It slows us down, deepens our thinking, and lets us say what too often goes unsaid. It is widely recognized to support mental clarity, emotional processing, and relational connection. It eases isolation, honors grief, strengthens memory, and restores a sense of agency and voice. For seniors especially, it affirms: I am still here, I still have things to say, and my words still matter.
Some letters are sent. Some, especially those that release more fierce or fiery words as a form of personal therapy, stay undelivered and get tucked into a journal or tossed in the fire. Each writer chooses whether their letter is sent to its recipient, or not.
What Is… The Living Library?
Every senior carries a lifetime of stories, wisdom, and experience that deserves to be preserved, celebrated, and shared. The Living Library workshops give participants a chance to put their own cherished memories in writing, over time gathering a written collection of irreplaceable memories. Eventually, these pieces of writing can be assembled as a memoir.
About the Facilitator
Jessica Rios facilitates the workshops, gently guiding participants through the art of reflective writing. Her background includes 24 years of working with seniors — from program coordination and community building to memoir writing for several clients since 2015 — atop a practice of prolific letter writing since age 5.
How It Works
Each workshop runs 60 to 90 minutes and follows a gentle, consistent structure:
Opening — A brief grounding exercise, accompanied with music, to settle participants into the space
The Invitation — A theme introduced through a short reading, photograph, or sensory prompt
Writing Time — Participants write freely and privately, guided by tailored prompts
Sharing Circle (optional & always voluntary) — Participants may share a line, a word, or a few lines if they choose
Closing & Takeaway — Each participant leaves with a written prompt to continue the work in their own time
What I Bring
A curated workshop plan tailored to your community
All printed materials, prompts, and participant takeaways
Sensitive, experienced facilitation with older adults — 24 years of experience spanning senior program coordination, community building, and memoir writing
Flexibility in session length, frequency, and theme selection
Options for one-time events, monthly series, or full seasonal programming
A Note on Inclusivity
Sessions can be designed so that participants who cannot write by hand may dictate, speak aloud, or simply listen and reflect. The goal is never a perfect piece of writing. The goal is a life recognized and honored, with its most meaningful stories preserved.