Stacy Nockowitz
Stacy Nockowitz is a middle school librarian and former language arts teacher with more than 25 years of experience in middle school education. Stacy received her BA from Brandeis University and holds Master's Degrees from Columbia University Teachers College and Kent State University. She is also an MFA candidate in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Stacy received a PJ Library Writer’s Incentive Award in 2020 for her debut novel THE PRINCE OF STEEL PIER, coming in September 2022 from Kar-Ben Publishing. An unrepentant Jersey Girl, Stacy still teases her hair and uses plenty of spray. When she’s not writing or matching great kids with great books, Stacy can most likely be found reading or rooting on her beloved Philadelphia Eagles. Her kids have flown the coop, so Stacy lives in central Ohio with her husband and their cat, Queen Esther.
Twitter: @snockowitz
Are there particular films that have influenced your writing?
As I’m writing, I like to visualize the scenes in my novels as scenes in movies. Doing this helps me imagine everything from setting to dialogue to characters’ gestures more vividly. I’m particularly influenced by films from the 1970s and 1980s. Films from that time were less about mindless violence and computer generated images and were more about character development and stylistic choices on the part of the director. Films that have influenced my writing include The Front (1976), Blade Runner (1982), The Godfather (1972), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Raising Arizona (1987). Oh, and A Bronx Tale, though that movie came out in 1993.
Have you ever experienced Imposter Syndrome?
Absolutely. I was already in my 50s when I started to think seriously about writing and publishing. This meant that my peers, teachers, and mentors were often people who were much younger than me. I sometimes found myself thinking, “I can’t be starting down this entirely new path now! Everyone has such a huge head start on me!” I still think about this sometimes, that starting late may mean that I’ll never become the seasoned writer I want to be. But then I remember that I had a whole life before this- as a teacher, as a librarian, as a mother. All of that helped shape the writer that I am becoming. It’s hard to feel like an imposter when you know you’ve taken the path that was meant for you.
Vacation druthers… City or Rural destination? Why?
I love the city! My favorite vacations have been spent going to great cities of the world like Dublin, Venice, and Amsterdam. I love the energy of a city- pedestrians, lights, restaurants, museums, shops. I love the idea that there’s always something open at two in the morning. And I enjoy immersing myself in another culture in an immediate and complete way. Only a city can offer that possibility! Someday, I’d like to go to Tokyo. It seems like the most vibrant, colorful city.
Is there another profession you would like to try?
I always wanted to be a stand-up comedian or a comedic actress. My idols growing up were Gilda Radner, Carol Burnett, and Lily Tomlin. I did a lot of theatre when I was younger, and I was always cast in the funny, character role. And I spent a lot of time in my bedroom as a kid performing in front of a mirror! I don’t have the urge to be onstage anymore, but if I had been a bit braver when I was younger, I might have pursued acting and comedy professionally.
Do you have another artistic outlet in addition to your writing?
For years, I’ve been art journaling on an almost daily basis. An art journal is a combination diary/art experimentation space. Every year, I buy a Hobonichi planner from Japan. The paper is soft and buttery- perfect for mixed media art. I’m not a good artist, by which I mean that I cannot draw or paint well at all. But, I’m artistic, and I love graphic design. So, the art journaling I do is mostly collage, using found images and text. The art I create acts as both a daily journal and a creative outlet for self-expression.
