THE STORY WEAVER

An Interview With Nancy Peacock

By Brenda Kay Ledford

Nancy Peacock is a Chapel Hill novelist whose first book, Life Without Water, was published in 1996. Her book was chosen as a New York Times Notable Book of 1996 and went into its second printing in only one month’s time.

Brenda Kay Ledford: When did you begin writing?

Nancy Peacock: In the fourth grade. I had an artistic teacher who taught creative writing and sculpting. But creative writing stuck with me.

BLK: What work have you done to support yourself as a writer?

NP: I've been a carpenter, a locksmith, I worked in a grocery store for awhile, I cleaned houses for three or four years and ran my own house cleaning company. Really, whatever it's taken including waiting tables.

BKL: How has living in North Carolina shaped your writing?

NP: I think I've been very lucky to live in Chapel Hill because I could take so many workshops and be with writers. Certainly the landscape has affected me because I tend to write about where I live.

BKL: Do you consider yourself to be a Southern writer?

NP: I don't know [laughing]. I only have one novel and I think it's debatable whether it's Southern or not. I think more will be unveiled with the second novel what kind of writer I am.

BKL: Do you write only fiction?

NP: Not really. I wrote poetry in high school. I thought it was easier to write, but I'm not sure it was in retrospect. I write mostly essays and fiction now.

BKL: Where did you get ideas to write your first novel, Life Without Water?

NP: Life Without Water was percolating in my mind for a long time ever since the 60s came to an end. During the 60s, I was aware of two things: the children being raised by hippies had different lifestyles and, from my perspective, we put up with a lot of people we really didn't like because we thought we were supposed to love everybody. But that's where some of the betrayals come into the story. The 60s certainly had an impression on me.

BKL: How did you choose the title for your novel?

NP: I wrote the story and didn't have a title for it. I sat down and made a list of possible titles for it. Life Without Water was one of them because [the characters] didn't have any plumbing. It was my favorite title and I'm glad they kept it for the book.

BKL: How can a writer get in touch with the spiritual side of creativity?

NP: I think every artist must have a lot of faith in the material presented to them. You have to step off the edge sometimes. You don't know what you're writing or where it's going. You have to begin. I think when you do that, answers are unveiled to you. The material starts talking to you, and becomes bigger than you are. The material takes on life.

BKL: How do dreams influence your writing?

NP: I have worked with dreams. I've had dreams that I've written short stories from. I keep a micro cassette recorder beside my bed and record dreams and ideas. Then about once a month I listen to it and write ideas in my journal. I've started keeping a notebook to keep ideas in it.

BKL: Did the success of your first novel propel you to write the novel you're working on now?

NP: I think it did. I was not writing when my first novel was published. I guess I was taking a break from writing. But Life Without Water was the biggest project I ever completed. It was really emotional. I think when you do something that long it becomes emotional and I didn't expect that. When Life Without Water was published, I realized I had to get back on that horse and start writing again. So I did. I'm glad of it.

BKL: Why keep writing when the rewards are so meager?

NP: I don't know [laughing]. I think writing is my Prozac because it keeps me grounded in my own life. I grow through my writing. I learn about myself through my writing.

BKL: How do you feel about revising your work?

NP: I love rewriting. The first draft is hard for me. I love revising better than writing. So I will be very glad when I finish the first draft of my novel and I can sit down, take a look at it. I can think about what needs to be done.

BKL: Is there a writer who has influenced your writing?

NP: Lee Smith certainly has. I took a class from her and she was my mentor. She really helped me out by looking at my work and cheering me on.

BKL: Would you like to add anything else?

NP: Yes. I never attended college. I only have a high school education and I am mostly a self-taught writer.