A Pixorium Success Story: HOLDING FAST

Betsy C. Baker loves to write. After her husband, David, died, the time was right to create a memoir. Holding Fast combines Betsy’s memories of childhood, her high-profile careers, marriage, family illness, death and loss with her imaginative creative fiction. Through its straight-talking, compelling stories told as truth and fiction, we are reminded to “hold fast” to our family history and memories. It was our distinct pleasure to create this memoir book with her, and for me to talk with her about it for this piece.

Betsy Baker, author, with her memoir, HOLDING FAST

Why create a memoir?

This book is for generations to come who need to know their history. And I would like to be known in history. I think it’s important to know where we’ve come from, in order to understand who we are and why we are.

What surprised you about the memoir process or the result?  

I initially thought it would just be my words, but with your counsel I put everything in. Pictures, articles and so much more to verify my stories. However, when you lay out your life on pages, you are vulnerable. I didn’t realize how vulnerable I might feel. Or how much I might care about a reader’s reaction.

Is there anything important to say to others about creating a memoir?  

I think so. The expense (both time and money) is big but consider it an investment in your family.  

In the opening of my book, I tell this story: “It arrived unannounced in a brown paper wrapper. Tied in an old-fashioned yard string was a photo album made out of cheap black dark cardboard. On a small piece of paper was a note from a distant cousin, the twice removed variety we barely knew. ‘Do you know any of the people in these photographs?’ We didn’t recognize anyone.”

I have lots of family photos. Looking through them, I realize they have no names, no dates, and no history that will tell a story to my children, grandchildren, and their children and so on. They will never know their relatives. Why do I care? To know ourselves, we must examine our roots. Where did we come from? What are our genes and why do people keep trying to identify us with someone from the past? They play guessing games, wanting us to look like someone they knew. “Oh, your father, uncle, aunt, fourth cousin used to do that, look like that, make that gesture.” We blankly stare because we don’t know these people, even though they are part of our history. You come from a wonderful legacy. Somewhere generations of your family are cheering you on, loving and accepting you. You have their genes. You are a leaf on that family tree. Get to know the other leaves with your history, your DNA.

That’s why I created this book, to help my leaves to know the other leaves on our tree.