Hilary Levey Friedman

Photograph by: Bethany O Photography

Hilary Levey Friedman is the author of Here She Is: The Complicated Reign of the Beauty Pageant in America. She is a sociologist at Brown University, where she has taught a popular course titled "Beauty Pageants in American Society." She is a leading researcher in pageantry, merging her mother's past experiences as Miss America 1970 with her interests as a glitz- and glamour-loving sometime pageant judge, and a mentor to Miss America 2018. Friedman also serves as the president of the Rhode Island chapter of the National Organization for Women. Her first book, Playing to Win, focused on children's competitive afterschool activities.

Twitter: @HLeveyFriedman

Instagram: @HLeveyFriedman

Is there a genre of music that influences your writing/thinking? Do you listen to music while you write?

When I write and listen to music it has to be music “without words,” as my kids would say. I find movie soundtracks to be very inspiring. They convey emotion and—not surprisingly—seem to tell a story that I can feel swelling in my chest. My go-to is the soundtrack to Little Women, the 1994 version starring Winona as Jo. It gives me some Jo March/Louisa May Alcott (writing) energy!

Favorite non-reading activity?

I am an unabashed Bravoholic. I don’t watch every Real Housewives franchise, but I do have season recordings on RHONY, RHONJ, RHOBC, and RHOA. Also all iterations of Below Deck. Throw in some Shahs of Sunset and Southern Charm and I’m a relaxed Hilary.

Is there another profession you would like to try?

In a parallel version of my life I’d be a lawyer. If I had gone to law school soon after college I’d probably be in a big firm. But, now, a few decades removed from the different choice I made (a PhD in Sociology), I see very clearly how the law can be used as a tool of social justice. I still often think that the law is a body of knowledge and a skill set that I would like to learn. Of course, it’s never too late learn and try something new, so we shall see…

What’s the difference (at least for you!) between being a writer and an author? How do you shift gears between the two?

I know I’m an author; I’m not sure I’m a writer. I tend to associate Writing with fiction and poetry. To me, Adrienne Rich is a Writer. Ditto Jhumpa Lahiri. Among non-fiction I think of Susan Orlean as a Writer. In the end, to me writing is about evoking a specific emotion very strongly through words. Of course not all fiction writers do this well, and it’s even harder for a non-fiction writer like me, but hope springs eternal.

What piece of clothing tells the most interesting story about your life?

I’m not sure if this piece of clothing captures the most interesting story, but it certainly sums up part of my personality. When I was pregnant with each of my sons I ordered custom hospital gowns for labor.  I even got my name stitched on them (it was included, I didn’t go elsewhere!) and got the matching pillowcase cover. I gave birth in New England, where I discovered the term for what I think of as a hospital gown is a “johnny.” My husband’s name is John, so whenever someone came in and commented how much they liked my “johnny” it gave me a laugh between contractions. In any case, I like to dress for each occasion, coordinate, and personalize when possible. And, yes, polka dots were involved.