We recently connected with Holley Snaith and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Holley, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Thank you, it’s wonderful to speak with you! My fascination with history began at a young age, and early on, I recognized my ability to memorize certain stories, facts, and dates. In high school, I interned at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Little White House and acted as a docent. That was when I developed a love for sharing my knowledge with others, which was an impressive feat for an introvert such as myself. While studying History at the University of Florida, I volunteered at museums and historic sites and became even more comfortable with interacting with visitors. By the time I began my internship at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, I thought I was a pro! While I was working at the Roosevelt sites and later at the Richard Nixon Foundation, I did not think of myself as a writer, nor did I envision becoming one. At that time, I thought I would continue to pursue a career in public history. However, within a few years, my interests began to shift and I found myself yearning for a new challenge. I made the difficult decision to leave my full-time job, become a freelancer, and earn a Master’s degree. As a freelancer, I did a variety of work and steadily built a clientele, yet my love for history never dissipated.

About a year after I began freelancing, I started to get serious about writing. I had done some writing at the FDR Library and the Nixon Foundation, yet I never viewed it as a creative outlet or a way for me to share important stories. Because I had no idea how to even get started, I wrote a few articles on whatever interested me and published them on my own. This led to me landing a contract to write brief historical eBooks, and more opportunities steadily came along. I look back at my early articles now and view them as less than stellar, but I believe that with each article I write, the better a historian I become.

In every aspect of my career, from public history to research and writing, I know that I did the best I could with the knowledge I was equipped with at the time. Had I focused solely on writing while I was interning at the FDR Library, I might have missed out on other opportunities I experienced, such as working in the archives and museum. My willingness to make a change, explore different avenues, and adopt new skills has been essential in making me the professional I am now.

Of course, there have been obstacles. After I began freelancing, I was concerned that I would not be taken as seriously as a historian as I was when I worked at the presidential sites, and I felt insecure in reaching out to individuals to interview for my research. This was more of a self-imposed barrier rather than a true obstacle, and I no longer give much thought to how others perceive me. I know who I am and what I have accomplished, and being secure in that knowledge is what keeps me going.

The one obstacle that I can do nothing about is time. There is never enough time to learn as much as I want to learn or write as much as I want to write. After I publish an article on a historical figure, I often feel that I have barely scratched the surface of what they accomplished in their life. Sometimes this leads to another article, or I even mull over the idea of writing a book. However, knowing how important time is motivates me to spend it wisely.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When I first began my career, I focused strictly on 20th century American history, specifically covering the era of the Great Depression through World War II. Then, when I went on to work at the Nixon Foundation, I began to study the period immediately after World War II up to the 1970s. Now that I am a freelancer, I do not focus so strongly on one era, and I write about music, entertainment, social, and political history. Occasionally, someone will reach out to me and ask that I write an article on a certain person or topic. While I am grateful for the suggestion, I prefer to choose the subject I research and write about because the interest must be there for me to be able to do the best work. Some historians try to write as much as they can, but I prefer to take my time, enjoy the research process, conduct interviews if I can, and savor writing the story. That may mean I only publish a few articles a year, but quality is more important than quantity.

In addition to writing, I also do research for authors, edit and fact-check manuscripts, and discuss my career in public history and as a writer on podcasts. When I am asked these thoughtful questions about how I approached a certain project or a special memory during an interview, it dawns on me just how blessed my journey has been. I am proud that I worked at two presidential sites and then made the successful transition into freelancing.

I find a lot of joy in learning about the remarkable people I write about, and there is even more joy in sharing that knowledge with an audience. Pearl S. Buck once said, “The secret of joy in work is contained in one word—excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.” To know that I have engaged a reader and informed them of something new is a priceless feeling.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

One of the most surprising moments of my life came when I realized I had some creativity because I never thought of myself as being creative! But as a historian, I must take a creative approach to the story I am telling. The first step, even before the research begins, is to identify what story I am aiming to tell and how I am going to tell it. People may not think of historians as creative because we rely so heavily on facts, but I do think you need to possess a sense of creativity to tell a story that may have already been told in your own unique and appealing way. Since I mainly write about well-known figures, I look for common misconceptions about that person that other writers may have aggrandized on in the past, or perhaps an aspect of their career that has too often been overlooked, and I begin to shape the narrative around that.

I try to paint a picture of someone’s life, or a chapter of their life, with words and make it as vivid, interesting, and perhaps as inspiring, as possible. That takes a kind of creativity that I am still learning to master.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is always to produce well-researched and strongly written material for my audience. I am grateful for those who have followed and supported me over the past few years, but I also strive to attract new readers, especially younger ones. Too many young people view history as “a thing of the past” and somewhat boring. Through my writing, I try to prove that perception wrong. Of course, some topics in history are duller than others, but it is important to understand history and where we came from, as that can help direct our path. I am a curious person, and as long as I have this sense of curiosity and a desire to share what I learn, I will continue down this creative journey as a historian.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.holleysnaith.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holleysnaith/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holleysnaith/
• Other: https://holleysnaith.medium.com/

Image Credits
All images courtesy of Holley Snaith