About

Classic Stories produces private memoirs and biographies. Our collaborative and bespoke services typically include face-to-face interviews, extensive background research, writing and editing, book design, and book publishing.

Originally founded as Montefiore Press, Inc. in December 2005, the company rebranded as “Classic Stories” in 2024.

The Market We Serve

Our clients are exceptional people. Many founded companies. All of them grew businesses. Most made significant philanthropic contributions. All of them want to share their story with their family.

Our Mission

Classic Stories strives to entertain, enlighten, and inspire your readers while giving them an accurate and meaningful record of your journey and wisdom.

Values

COLLABORATION – RESPECTFULNESS – APPRECIATION – ENJOYMENT – DEDICATION – PRIDE

Our History

In December 2005, a family member asked Joshua Sklare for help writing a book. He researched the field of private biographies and memoirs (commissioned books not available for sale). The books lacked the research rigor, writing quality, and production values of the best commercially available books. Joshua wrote and produced the first of twenty private biographies and memoirs for exceptional clients.

Books were a big part of Joshua’s life even before the founding. His grandfather wrote a memoir, America I Love You, that inspired Joshua. As a professor at Brandeis University, Joshua’s father, Marshall Sklare, authored books in the field of sociology. His mother, Rose Sklare, was an editor for several book publishers, including Ginn & Co., Little, Brown & Co., Macmillan, and Harcourt Brace. Rose was the founding inspiration for Classic Stories.

Team

Joshua M. Sklare
President and Founder

Joshua has authored over twenty biographies and memoirs. He holds degrees in sociology and English from Framingham State.

J. David Green
Executive Vice President and Author

Dave holds a master’s in English from the University of Missouri and has written four books and numerous papers and articles.

Devin Murphy
Author

Devin is a national bestselling author and full professor of creative writing at Bradley University.

Michael Cramer
Director of Historical Research

Michael holds a Master’s from Harvard University Graduate School of Design and a genealogical certificate from Boston University.

Brittany Scott
Director of Marketing and Client Services

Brittany oversees execution of marketing campaigns, develops financial reporting, manages inbound inquiries, and schedules client interviews.

Mark Ryan
Senior Sales Development Director

Mark has twenty-two years of sales experience and is a US Army veteran.

Jason Cook
Writer,Researcher,Editor

Jason Cook is a writer, editor, and researcher with nearly 20 years’ experience in the publishing industry.

Testimonials

“The team at Classic Stories worked very flexibly with my client.  Their organization of the memoir, additional research into details that added more dimension to the story, and quality writing style helped deliver an exceptional memoir book.  Their know-how was an important element to getting the project completed.  They are quality professionals that I would highly recommend for anyone that embarks on this important legacy journey.”

—Julie Neitzel

“My sisters and I wanted to preserve the story of our father Arthur Winn by producing a book about his life and accomplishments. Josh Sklare and his team at Classic Stories gave us more than we ever expected. In addition to spending countless hours interviewing my dad, all of the key people in his life and the business, they conducted extensive genealogical and historical research which helped to fully flesh out the history. The end result is a beautifully detailed book worthy of my father and enjoyed by all of his family, friends, and colleagues.”

-Gilbert Winn

“After reading my father’s biography by Classic Stories, I learned a great deal about him. Even though he passed late last June, he lives on through his book. His wisdom will last for generations in our family.”

-Bobby Ansin

“I thoroughly enjoyed working with Classic Stories on my memoir. The preparation and completion of the book was seamless in every respect and has given me and my family enormous pleasure.”

-Thomas J. Volpe, “Connecting My Dots”

“Classic Stories possesses an innate gift for engaging clients to probe the inner depths of their personal history. Then, with phenomenal skill, the Classic Stories team creates a gripping, detailed account of a life story.”

-David Oppenheimer

In preparation for a major birthday, I decided it was appropriate to write my memoir. It was not intended to be a mere biography, but a means of relating to family, associates, and others interested and concerned with why I made a major change in my life ambition and how I dealt with the decision. To do this, I knew I would need the help of a writer to assist me in the project. After interviewing several qualified individuals, I chose Josh Sklare.

Dealing with Josh in this time-consuming and overpowering endeavor was a meaningful experience. He added great value to the project; I believe it would not have succeeded without him. We evolved and published a book that served the purpose I had in mind. I have no hesitancy in referring him to anyone seeking to produce a similar book.

-Irwin Hochberg