Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Morgan Baker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Morgan, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
My parents divorced in 1968 when I was ten. I felt abandoned and alone. I didn’t know any other divorced families. My mother moved her three children from New York City to London and then to Cambridge MA. I started two new schools within a year, and I had to make new friends again. As I got older, my friends became an integral and important part of my life.
I didn’t consider myself particularly resilient because I also had mental health challenges (Depression/anxiety). But by getting help, I realized that was a sign of strength not weakness. Marrying my husband, who believed in me, and becoming a mother of two daughters who also had their own challenges, proved to me that I was strong, capable and could bounce back from almost anything. Creating my own family was the most resilient thing I could have done, Watching my daughters face their challenges and not crumble from them, has been inspiring. They are both resourceful and resilient, and I like to think I have been a role model for them.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Professionally, I am a writer, teacher, and editor. I’ve been doing a combination of these for forty years – which makes me feel old – but not washed up. I love what I do. I started as a freelance feature writer for magazines and newspapers. I wrote about people, health, travel, and mostly child development issues. I still write profiles for alumni magazines, but now I focus mostly on creative nonfiction. My debut memoir, Emptying the Nest: Getting Better at Goodbyes came out a year ago. This was one of the biggest moments of my life.
I started writing the book after we had a litter of puppies and my older daughter left for college. It took years for me to figure out what the memoir was about, and how to structure it. But, it finally all fit together and I’m proud of what I accomplished and that I didn’t give up.
When I teach, whether at Emerson College, or privately (Zoom workshops), I view myself as a facilitator. I not only share what I know about a particular genre, I also create community. The more support a writer has with other writers, the more she will believe in herself and her work. I am so proud of my writers. Being part of their writing journeys is a highlight of my life.
Six years ago, I joined a start-up magazine, thebucket.com as their managing editor. Again, I am working with writers and helping them get their pieces into the best possible shape they can to be published on the website.
What I have discovered from my woven career path is that I continually learn, which is exciting and rewarding.
In addition to teaching at Emerson, and editing at The Bucket, I am currently building my private teaching business, Write your way… with Morgan, and putting together a collection of essays I’ve written over the past 10 years on identity, tentatively titled Finding Me (I don’t have a subtitle yet).
In my personal life, I’m a wife and mother of two adult daughters. We currently have two Portuguese Water Dogs, Mayzie and Lily. I’m an avid quilter – I make baby quilts, wedding quilts, and graduation quilts.
My husband and I raised our daughters in Cambridge, but six years ago, we moved to Hawaii, which was terrifying, as I don’t like change, but the adventure turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever done. I learned change can be fun, and I’m much resilient than I realized. We moved back after a year.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
If you are contemplating a new career path, or want to develop the one you’re on, jump in. I had a safe job in advertising, when I decided I really wanted to write. I was scared, but I applied to graduate school, and took a leap of faith. I realize now, it was courage. Similarly, when I started teaching, I took an opportunity as a grad student to try it. I never thought it would be something I would like or be good at. But almost 40 years later, I’m still at it. Look for opportunities and take them.
So first believe in yourself. Regardless of what journey you’re on, find your people. If you want to be on the writing journey, find classes on line or in-person, and find a community where you feel supported and encouraged. The best way to learn anything, in my opinion, is to do. I tell my undergraduates, they can learn technique and practice in my classes, but when they’re on assignment for a publication, that is when they’ll really learn. Also, learning to write takes practice. Be patient. No one is an expert skier after going down one run. The same is true for writing. I’m still learning and improving. And it’s fun. Read. A. Lot.
If you are interested in teaching, be thoughtful about how you move forward in that direction. More often than not, these days, you need an MFA to even apply for a full-time position in a college. I really do love what I do, and being part-time allowed me to write a lot, and be home with my kids when they were little. But it is also limiting. If you want to teach full-time, you need to be flexible and go where the job is. If I’m honest with myself, I’m happy with how my career turned out. I didn’t make a lot of money, but I was never bored, I met a lot of people, I become more confident speaking in front of people, and I had fun.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
I have grown a lot in the last 12 months, specifically in self-confidence, believing in myself and trusting myself and my material (book) if I’m talking to a group of people about my book and/or writing. I am proud of the work I’ve done, and now feel I can share that pride with others. I have learned not to hesitate about reaching out to others to collaborate or to ask if I can be part of their podcast, book festival, or book group. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know if the organization will say yes or no. I don’t take nos nearly as seriously as I did in the beginning of this journey. I shrug my shoulders, forward the rejection to my husband who always has a word to say about the place turning me down. I am always surprised by who says yes and who says no. But you need to keep throwing yourself out there.
Similarly, I have met so many writers and editors in the past year, my world has grown tremendously. And, I am completely open to working with anyone on subjects such as motherhood, food allergies, mental health, dogs, and identity. I’m not as intimidated by others anymore.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bymorganbaker.com
- Instagram: @mmorgbb
- Facebook: morgan.baker.737
- Linkedin: Morgan Baker
- Twitter: @bymorganbaker
Image Credits
Kristin Lafratta – the photo of me and the two dogs.
The rest were taken by me or a friend.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
