Jamie Beck: Rich, Contemporary Stories To Melt Your Heart!

Jamie Beck is the epitome of the all -American girl. From her roots in Pittsburg to her love of anything NFL, to her strong belief in family and friends, she is that girl next door we all dream of.  Warm and friendly, she is always excited to talk about any subject from writing to the best  places to ski so the conversations are always easy and thoroughly enjoyable!  Jamie’s books reflect this warmth with strong ties to the richness of family, commitment and devotion.  Take a minute and get to know her and we’re sure you will agree.  Jamie is an author you can easily grow to love!

InD: You grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, correct?
JB: Yes, I did. Pittsburgh and Steelers all the way! In Pittsburgh, you will never go anywhere without seeing people wearing some sort of Steelers memorabilia. It is just part of the culture. Our kids were born and raised in Connecticut, but they painted a Steelers emblem in our garage. It just proliferates!
InD: Is it normal and common for you go out wearing Steelers gear?
JB: Totally normal. We have the jerseys of our favorite players. We also have Steeler pajamas, hats and sweatshirts.
InD: I also read that you love to ski in Utah. I’ve heard the snow there is incredible because of the salt in the Great Salt Lake, it makes for much dryer, softer powder than anywhere else in the country.
JB: Oh, it is! My husband's family has a place in Alta. We love to ski, so we go there every February. My son likes to snowboard, though, so he prefers Snowbird. We have skied all over, though, especially in Colorado and California. In all the other places, you tend to get that heavier, wet snow, but in Utah it is generally powdery. It is so nice, but you still have to be in pretty good shape. Lately, I have been spending too much time in the writing chair and not enough time doing anything else, so I’m out of shape!
InD: There are a lot of us who are glad you are spending so much time in the chair. What was it like growing up in Pittsburgh?
JB: The actual city of Pittsburgh is pretty small. I think it only has around 300,000 residents who technically live in the city limits. Most people are in the suburbs. I grew up around six miles outside of the city in a suburb called Mt. Lebanon. I was born in the mid-60s, when Pittsburgh was a steel town. It has changed a lot and is now a big technology hub (robotics-type stuff) and medical center. Pittsburgh has always had great art programs because of the Carnegie and Mellon families’ philanthropy. There are lots of museums and other cultural events.
It’s an interesting legacy, where you had the blue-collar and ethnic communities, like Polish Hill and places like that, but then you also had extremely wealthy people who believed in giving back to the city. Growing up there, I had this interesting mix of culture in a more blue-collared town, but now that has flipped. It is a much more professional town. The great things about Pittsburgh are the low cost of living, the great public schools, and the easy commutes.
Because it is so far in the southwest corner of the state, it’s got a nice Midwestern feel. I think growing up there gave me good values and a sense of what really matters. Here in New England, there is much more of a Type-A pace. Sometimes I have to remind my kids that there are lots of places where they can live that.

Read the entire interview in the April 2019 issue of InD'Tale magazine.

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