Friday, May 24, 2024

This week in The Loft: Author Anne Hamilton Fowler!

Joining me today in The Loft is Canadian author Anne Hamilton Fowler. Anne traveled many paths before writing her memoir, "I've Worn Many Hats." Anne began her work life as a nurse, but soon moved on to a position as a flight attendant at American Airlines. She left the airline to found Hamilton Enterprises, a well-known personnel agency located in Toronto.  In 2000, she semi-retired to pursue philanthropic projects in Honduras, where she now lives six months each year. The mother of two, Anne enjoys spending time with two grandchildren and two grand dogs. She has also outlived two ex-husbands! 

Author Anne Hamilton Fowler

S:  Good morning, Anne. Thanks for joining me in The Loft today!

How did you prepare to write your book? Did you outline the details or "shoot from the hip?"

A:  The plot was my life. People have asked how I could possibly remember so many details. Of course, we all know that when one reaches a certain age, they may not remember what they did yesterday, but can clearly recall incidents of 50 years ago. I kept notepads around the house and when I thought of a memory, no matter what time of day or night, I wrote it down. As you can imagine, this led to copious pieces of paper/notes scattered about. I knew the book would be written in two parts--before and after Honduras. About once a week, I would gather up my paper trail, decipher the sometimes illegible notes, and enter the information into the appropriate section of my outline. But what no one had warned me about was that the hard part was yet to come--formatting.

S:  Obviously, that method worked for you.

What would you like to people to know about you?

A:  I’ve always enjoyed writing although this is the only book I’ve done. Throughout my life I wrote many business proposals/speeches, weekly newspaper columns, several cookbooks, and as far back as Grade Four, I wrote a mystery play to be performed by classmates. I suspect at age 83, my days as an author are over, but I just might be convinced to compile a collection of stories written by our young international volunteers recounting their tales of adventure in Honduras.

S:  That would be an interesting book!

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

A:  That despite many missteps and sometimes inappropriate, outrageous behavior, I managed to raise two children into outstanding, responsible adults. They are not only wonderful parents but all-around good people. The work I have been doing in Honduras for almost 30 years is just icing on the cake.

S:  That must be gratifying. A life well-lived.

What do you want inscribed on your tombstone? How do you want to be remembered?

A:  I want to be remembered as someone who not always made the best decisions but lived life to its fullest, doing it my way. At the end, I will leave without regrets knowing that in spite of mistakes, I did manage to do some things right and succeeded in making a positive impact on many lives.

S:  What inspired your book, "I’ve Worn Many Hats?"

A:  There were several factors. For one, I was tired of listening to friends urge me to write my life story and was dabbling in putting something together to raise funds for my Honduran programs. Then COVID hit and in 2020, I was stranded in Honduras for 19 months. Unable to return to Canada, my projects were on hold and so I finished what I had started. The book got done.

S:  Is there anything special you would like people to know about "I’ve Worn Many Hats?"

A:  "I’ve Worn Many Hats" has been called, “An entertaining book that once started can’t be put down.” I wrote about events in my life that I’d never before had closure on. It was incredibly cathartic. Plus, I totally unexpected the reaction/dialogue initiated by some readers. This is the beginning of one of those conversations I received via email. “I’ve Worn Many Hats is a truly inspiring memoir written by a remarkable woman who survived terrible traumatic events by entering into a reckless way of living. What I read on the recommendation of a friend, and expected to be just another memoir, turned out to be so much more! Entertaining? Yes. As you laid out your life experiences--romantic, criminal, tragic--so honestly, I found myself identifying with them. For the first time in many years, I was encouraged to finally open up and share with friends my own damaged past. It was liberating! You are indeed an inspiration.” I have received many such responses from women who experienced trauma in their past but had been reluctant to talk about it. As well, I heard from family members and friends of women who had suffered in silence. It is my hope that our conversations have helped to give closure to a few of these people.

Here's the blurb--

This memoir is the no holds barred account of my unorthodox life lived in a manner regularly viewed as risky and on the edge, frequently laughable, on occasion full of hardship, but never boring! The candid account that spans decades of a long bumpy life evokes many emotions; laughter, empathy, shock, admiration. As you read the first half, you may find yourself going back, re-reading and thinking, “she did what?!” In the second half of the book, you will discover what inspired me to make such a drastic life change, leaving behind a long successful career in Human Resources to pursue philanthropic work with the people of Honduras.


S:  Where can readers buy "I've Worn Many Hats?"

A:  It's available at--

Amazon Canada:  https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1778350321



Amazon Australia:  https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/1778350321

S:  Anne, I'm so pleased that you could join me today! If you'd like to learn more about Anne and her book, please visit http://anne.honduranhope.net.

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