A Sneak Peak into Indelible’s Issue 8

An interview with the trailblazing Patricia Leavy, whose work has inspired countless writers, artists, and researchers across disciplines. In this exclusive chat, we learn about Leavy’s own arts-based research odyssey, exploring how her deep-rooted love for the arts collided with her academic pursuits. 

From childhood enchantment with the magic of the arts to the challenges of blending creativity with academia, Leavy shares the pivotal moments that shaped her unconventional path. In this illuminating conversation, Leavy gives us a candid reflection on the courage needed to bridge the worlds of scholarship and artistic expression.  

Moreover, Leavy provides an insider’s look into her recent work, including Hollyland, a delightful ode to the arts, and her personal favorite, The Location Shoot, a romantic exploration of life’s big questions set against the backdrop of a film set. Enjoy the read!

Patricia, your work has inspired so many writers, artists, and researchers from across the disciplines, with everyone having a unique story on how they stumbled across research through the arts or vice versa. So, we’d like to ask you about your story: how did your arts-based research journey begin?

Thank you for your kind words. I’ve loved the arts since I was a little girl: losing myself in the sounds coming through my headphones, going from tears to laughter in dark theatres, finding myself on the pages of novels, seeing the world anew in museums and art galleries. To me, the arts were magical, connecting, and transporting. As for my own artistic practice, I’ve been writing creatively for as long as I can remember. That said, when I was figuring out what to do with my life, I lacked a certain kind of bravery you need as an artist. It takes courage to put your creative work out into the world where you’ll inevitably face critique and rejection. I wasn’t ready for that. So, the arts became relegated to weekends as I pursued a career in sociology. Even though I chose a scholarly path, I wasn’t enamoured by traditional academic writing. It seemed so limited so as early as graduate school I was pushing myself to challenge the bounds and take some creative risks in my writing. Eventually I began to question the usefulness of conventional academic forms. Were journal articles well written by literary standards? Did anyone read them? Did they make a difference in the world? These questions set me on a path searching for other ways to do and share research. That’s when I stumbled on arts-based research, which instantly resonated, likely because of my life-long love of the arts. I started experimenting with my own ABR. Eventually, I wrote my debut novel. The experience of writing it and then learning how it impacted readers both inside and outside of the academy changed everything. That was it for me. I’ve been writing fiction ever since and never looked back.

Your nonfiction texts highlight the similarities between the artistic and research processes. As a novelist, what do you see as the synergies between fiction and research?

They’re both meant to illuminate something about the social world and human experience, produce new insights, and deepen our understanding. To me, the biggest synergy is that they’re both processes of discovery. Insights emerge during the process of conducting research or writing fiction. You never know what those insights will be or how they will connect with one another. It’s what makes them both exciting. Magical, even.

What is your writing process like; or, in other words, how do your novels come to you? Are they the result of research, or is it the other way around?

It’s changed over the years. The first several novels I wrote were each based on ideas I developed from research, teaching, and personal experiences. I had specific topics and themes I wanted to explore. They were usually the result of cumulative insights I had developed over years of doing research, but that didn’t have a home in conventional academic writing. The messy bits that seemed left over, but felt like they might be the most interesting pieces. I would outline the novels and then write them in chronological order. So, that was sort of my process for the first five novels. Then everything changed. The characters and stories came to me differently, purely from imagination. Sometimes I’d be watching a film and suddenly get an idea for an entirely new story. Other times I’d hear a song and suddenly see a group of characters. In other cases, I’d be working on one novel when the idea for the next one would materialize. It never happens the same way twice which is why I’m still so in love with writing. I’ve been writing my novels totally out of order, as scenes, and stitching them together in the end. The way I’ve been writing in recent years has been much more freeing and I think I’ve grown a lot as a novelist and produced more interesting books. For now, I can’t imagine doing it differently.

Your recent novel, Hollyland, has been described as a love letter to the arts. Tell us about it.

Hollyland is a light-hearted celebrity romance. Dee Schwartz is an arts researcher. Ryder Field is a famous actor descended from Hollywood royalty. They meet outside a bar one night and their connection is palpable. They both lost their mothers at a young age and bond over that shared loss, as well as their passion for the arts. They embark on a love story that explores their search for magic—or “gold dust”—in their lives. While all my novels include an arts narrative, this is the first time I really wove all my arts research experience into a work of fiction through Dee’s character. Not only is she an arts researcher, but the novel is set in Hollywood, and she’s surrounded by professional artists in the entertainment industry. So, while it’s a romance novel with a suspenseful twist, and a total beach read, it’s also a celebration of the arts. Hollyland raises questions about art in education, distinctions between art and entertainment, the nature of popular and controversial art, whether artists must compromise to be successful, and who the real movie stars are in our lives.

As we hear from many authors and poets, the pandemic had a direct impact on their writing—many wrote with more intensity, while some went into a period of writer’s block. What was it like for you?

It was the most creative time of my life. I’m in no way romanticizing the experience. I was also depressed, isolated, and scared, like so many. My husband and I made the choice not leave our home until the vaccine was available, so I was in seclusion for 15 months. To get through it, I wrote every day. During that time, I wrote a nonfiction book and three novels, cover to cover, as well as pieces of other books. I’ve never written so much in such a short time. Fiction especially was an incredible escape. Without most of the distractions of “normal” daily life, I became totally immersed in my story-worlds. I’m really proud of the books I wrote during the lockdown, which include Hollyland and my new novel, The Location Shoot, which is my personal all-time favourite.

Tell us about The Location Shoot and why it’s your favourite.

At the core, it’s a romantic love story and a light, feel-good read. Yet it’s also about the meaning of life and the big questions we all ask ourselves. To tell you a bit about the plot, controversial French filmmaker, Jean Mercier, is shooting a film on location in Sweden. He rents an inn where he lives with his lead actors for the summer. Each one is at a crossroads in their personal life, and they’re trying to escape their realities while on set. Jean invites a close friend, Ella Sinclair, a beautiful, bohemian philosopher to join them for the summer. She and Hollywood star Finn Forrester fall madly in love. I don’t want to give too much away, but you see how deeply the summer affects them each, when they return home after the shoot to deal with the challenges in their own lives. It all comes to a conclusion months later when they reunite on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. It was so much fun writing a novel that takes place on a film set. There’s an art imitating life element to it. As soon as I finished it, I knew it was my favourite of my novels to date. I love the characters, the setting, the romance of the love story, the storyline of each of the supporting characters, the fun banter between the group, the intimacy between the lovers, and the message you’re left with at the end. As an author, I think it’s some of my best writing. I’m just really proud of how it came together.

There’s a narrative about the arts throughout your catalogue of fiction. What is your goal with your body of work?

With my nonfiction, I’ve tried to expand the possibilities for doing research and give scholars the tools they need to conceive of, generate, and communicate knowledge in different ways. I hope my books contribute to our understanding of the arts as a way of knowing. With my fiction, I’m focused on writing novels with positive, uplifting messages about healing from trauma and grief, balancing darkness and light in our lives, and living with bravery and passion. Through my novels I’m also creating a narrative about the role of the arts in our lives, which is why so many of my characters are writers and artists. I’m building a philosophy of the arts, but I choose to communicate it through fiction. In this way, my nonfiction and fiction serve to reinforce each other.

On the language of creative works vs. the language of academic writing: both teach, but they do it differently. What are some of the things you’ve learned through writing your novels?

Love, grief, trauma, healing, and redemption are deeply complex, multidimensional, layered, and messy. I’ve also learned about bravery, living with passion, and what it really means to be the hero of our own story. Perhaps more than anything else, I’ve learned about compassion. People are always going through backstage struggles we know nothing of, which is why it’s so important to begin from a place of kindness. The truth is, I’ve learned more about the human experience from writing fiction than from anything else.

About Patricia Leavy

Patricia Leavy, Ph.D., is a bestselling author. She was formerly Associate Professor of Sociology, Chair of Sociology and Criminology, and Founding Director of Gender Studies at Stonehill College in Massachusetts. She recently served on the advisory board for the Arts and Humanities in Medicine Program at The University of Maine. She has published over forty books, earning commercial and critical success in both fiction and nonfiction, and her work has been translated into many languages. Patricia has received more than one hundred accolades for her books including USA Best Book Awards, Independent Press Awards, International Impact Book Awards, National Indie Excellence Awards, Firebird Book Awards, International Book Awards, New York City Big Book Awards, and American Fiction Awards. She has also received career awards from the New England Sociological Association, the American Creativity Association, the American Educational Research Association, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and the National Art Education Association. In 2016 Mogul, a global women’s empowerment network, named her an “Influencer.” In 2018, she was honoured by the National Women’s Hall of Fame and SUNY-New Paltz established the “Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice.” 

Learn More:

Website: www.patricialeavy.com  

She Writes Press (fiction): https://shewritespress.com/portfolio/patricia-leavy/  

Guilford Press (nonfiction): https://www.guilford.com/author/Patricia-Leavy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WomenWhoWrite/  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patricialeavy  

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/PatriciaLeavy

Selected Books:

Hollyland on US Amazon

Hollyland on UK Amazon

The Location Shoot on US Amazon

The Location Shoot on UK Amazon

Re/Invention: Methods of Social Fiction at Guilford Press

Method Meets Art: Arts-Based Research Practice Third Edition at Guilford Press

The Location Shoot, Excerpt from Chapter 4

After a long day, they all sat down to break bread, as had become their tradition. The women and Jean sat in the booth, and the others sat in surrounding chairs. The staff promptly served drinks and announced, “The dinner buffet is open.”

“Shall we toast?” Ella asked, raising her glass.

“Before we indulge ourselves, let’s hear your thoughts,” Jean said. “Have you figured out what the film is about?”

Ella smiled coyly, all eyes upon her. “All right,” she said, rolling the glass of amber liquid between her palms. She leaned back and continued, “Obviously you were filming a party scene, but not just any party. It’s a massively grand celebration befitting the obscenely rich, and since there were no bridal gowns or caskets, it must be a birthday. His, I imagine,” she said, gesturing at Albie.

Everyone smiled, absolutely riveted.

Jean smirked. “Well, that was easy. Even they know that. Tell them something they don’t know.”

“Ah, good. Then I’m right so far,” she replied. “Well, you always use metaphor and symbolism to examine one theme central to the human condition—love, sex, death, violence, the environment. This time you’re trying to tackle the biggest theme of them all, which is why you wanted me here. Your film is about the meaning of life itself. Given your dire view of the species, it’s about the tragedy of human life,” she said, crinkling her nose and giggling.

Jean glanced down and shook his head in wonder. He looked up, his eyes on Ella, and caressed her cheek. “Oui, ma chérie. Tell them more.”

She smiled. “It’s about the meaning or meaninglessness of a single life, and by extension, the human race. It’s about our struggle to matter, and the deep fear we hold that perhaps we do not, that we could not. I imagine there will be an exploration of regret, missed opportunities, pride, and longing.” She paused and added, “The party scene is the center of the film. It’s trivial, meant to imply that our lives are often trivial. The characters will start coming apart at the seams because, deep down, they know it too.”

Jean smirked, faced the group, and said, “She is exactly right. It’s an exploration of the meaning of human life, which of course is impossible to capture, and thus is a great white whale of a beast.”

“Oh my God,” Finn mumbled. “It all makes sense now. The script, the . . .”

“My character represents death, mortality,” Albie said, as if he were figuring it out as each word left his mouth.

“My character must be meant to represent hope or naïveté,” Willow said. “She still believes that a human being can matter, even in the face of all the pettiness and conflict she has with the others. She continues to feel this way even though her family can’t rise above their own pathetic, selfish desires and cruelty toward one another.”

Ella smiled as the actors began to understand their part in the mysterious, grand plan that suddenly seemed clear as day.

“Did anyone show her a script?” Jean asked accusatorially.

They all shook their heads.

Jean turned to Ella and said, “The title. Have you guessed it?”

“Hmm, that’s always tricky. Let me give it a try. You always use one-word titles, so I’m assuming that’s the case here and you’re not trying to bamboozle me.”

He chuckled. “Go on.”

All eyes were glued to Ella.

“The film is about life itself, but you wouldn’t choose the word life. Too obvious, too pedestrian. Given your misanthropic views, it could be called Doom or Wasteland. Perhaps you’ve chosen to be more subtle, in which case something like Fragile would be the clear choice. But subtlety has never been your style, has it?” She crinkled her nose and giggled. “Because you have such a bleak view of humanity, some people don’t appreciate your wonderful, ironic sense of humor. The media often misses that altogether. It’s a pity; it’s such a fantastic part of your personality and your art. If you were going to create a film about the tragedy of the human condition, you would give it a falsely uplifting title. Hmm. What could it be, given that the film centers around a party?” Her face lit up with recognition, and she put her hand on his shoulder. “Darling, I seized upon the title as soon as we began this conversation. I said the scene you were shooting today was not just any party but ‘a massively grand celebration.’ The title of the film is Celebration.”

All the actors’ mouths were hanging open, their eyes nearly popping out of their heads.

“Ah, I see I’m right,” Ella said proudly.

“Holy shit,” Michael said. “That was amazing. You’re practically clairvoyant. You got all that from three minutes on set while we were dancing?”

“You’re extraordinarily perceptive,” Charlotte remarked.

Jean smiled and said, “She never misses a thing.” He raised his glass. “Ella, would you like to do the honors?”

She held up her glass. “To making beautiful art and exploring the big questions.”

“Cheers!” Jean exclaimed.

“Santé!”

“Skål!”

“Bottoms up,” Ella said, and they all clinked glasses.

People casually wandered over to the buffet, and Ella and Finn found themselves to be the last two perusing the spread. “The food here is actually pretty good, and they’ve been very accommodating. They always have vegetarian options for Charlotte.”

Ella smiled. “I love Swedish food, especially the gravlax,” she said, picking up the tongs.

“Have you spent much time in Sweden?”

“A fair amount. Stockholm is a great city. It’s entirely walkable with gorgeous water views, and I simply adore the modern art museum. You?”

“For all the traveling I do, this is only my second time in this country. The last time I was here, I was stuck in a hotel doing press junkets,” he replied. He noticed she was eyeing the dill potatoes and said, “May I?” as he picked up the serving spoon.

“Please,” she replied.

“You really blew everyone’s minds,” he said as he served her a scoop of creamy potatoes. “I can’t believe how much you inferred from the little you saw.”

She shrugged. “I know how Jean’s mind works.”

He shook his head and said, “I’ll never know how you figured out the title.”

She flirtatiously gestured for him to come closer. He leaned in close enough to smell her floral perfume and feel her warm breath on his ear, and she whispered, “One of the cameramen had the title taped to his equipment.”

Finn burst into laughter. When he could manage to get the words out, he said, “You really had Jean going. Hell, you had all of us going!”

“People believe what they want to believe. Besides, I must have some fun if he insists on playing his little mind games.” She giggled and said, “Jean was right, after all, I never miss a thing. He just misinterpreted what that meant.” She winked at him, and they both returned to the table smiling.

They all spent the next three hours eating, drinking, smoking, and telling stories. All the while, Finn couldn’t take his eyes off Ella.