Joy Nicholson
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San Pedro High School in San Pedro, California
Joy Nicholson was born in Wisconsin and then moved to Palos Verdes, California when she was in kindergarten. She and her brother Jay grew up surrounded by a difficult family life. Much of her family life is reflected throughout her debut novel, The Tribes of Palos Verdes.
I. Biography
Nicholson's father, Jack Nicholson, was born into a large Irish family in Chicago. He attended Loyola College in Chicago, where he studied business. Later he opened his own company, Fell/Nicholson Technology Resources. Her father is currently building a house in Spain where he will live next year. He and Nicholson "are very close." Nicholson does not know where her mother is currently.
After moving from place to place Nicholson and her family finally settled in Palos Verdes. Nicholson and her brother grew up in the opulent lifestyle of Palos Verdes, surrounded by jagged cliffs and the spacious Pacific Ocean. Her broken family life made home a difficult place for Joy and her brother to live. Nicholson's main home is still located in P.V., although she now travels about six to eight months out of the year.
Nicholson dropped out of Otis-Parsons Art Institute in Los Angeles after one semester. She then attended Santa Monica College and again dropped out after three semesters. From then on she held many different jobs—waiter, dog groomer, bartender, personal assistant, and salesperson, all while saving to travel the world. For Nicholson, traveling became a hobby. She began traveling at age nineteen and has since then traveled to Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. She would work, spend all her money, and then come back and work some more.
One of her main goals is to swim in every ocean in the world. During an on-line interview with Nicholson she says, "I'm not saying college isn't good for many people—it just wasn't good for me. I think people these days often forget that there are other ways to receive knowledge. Doing is the most important. Reading is the second most important."
Her first novel The Tribes of Palos Verdes was an expansion of a literary piece about her brother called "One Little Ball." She is currently working on her second novel The Road to Esmerelda which takes place between Los Angeles and Yucatan, Mexico, all the while traveling with her husband and their bull terrier, Eric.
II. Literary Works
The Tribes Of Palos Verdes is Nicholson's first book and is based on her brother which takes place in her native of town of Palos Verdes. This coming of age novel tells the story of Medina Mason and her twin brother Jim who have just moved to the exclusive Palos Verdes community. Medina is fourteen and is unpopular and awkward. Her brother Jim, on the other hand, is instantly popular and very attractive. Medina turns to surfing as a way to escape the chaos surrounding her life. While desperately trying to save the bond with her brother, Medina's selfish mother tries to break the two apart. Caught in a traumatic cycle, Medina struggles to save herself and brother from the forces that tear them apart. The novel focuses on the aspects of being an outsider in new territory and the bond between brother and sister. The book was published in 1998.
III. Palos Verdes and Joy Nicholson
Many aspects and characters from the novel are based on people and places Nicholson recalls from her own life. Listed are a few people and places from her novel:
Jim: based on Nicholson's brother Jay, an avid surfer who Joy describes as, "beautiful, amazing, and graceful."
Lunada Bay: The bay below Medina's house and her favorite surf spot. A popular surf spot in Palos Verdes guarded by the infamous Bayboys.
Bayboys: The Bayboys are the group of boys, including Skeezer, who surf with Medina. Currently this group of surfers call the Lunada Bay their own. They guard the bay and have in the past been accused of injuring and threatening trespassers.
Peninsula High School: Home of the "Sea Kings." The school opened in 1993 and is located on the corner of Silver Spur Rd. and Hawthorne Blvd. in Palos Verdes, California.
Palos Verdes: P.V. is located about 45 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. The Palos Verdes Peninsula is separated into Rolling Hills, P.V. Estates, Rancho P.V., and Rolling Hills Estates. The "hill", as it is sometimes called, is inhabited by many wealthy people and is rustic and serene.
Manhattan Beach Pier: During the red tide, Medina and Adrian came to this pier to surf. This Southern California beach is about 15 miles from P.V. It is located between Hermosa Beach and Marina del Rey. The pier is a local tourist attraction and hangout for fishermen and Manhattan Beach residents.
Marineland: Mentioned a few times in the novel, this once thriving tourist attraction featured marine animal acts and aquariums. The former home of Corky, the killer whale, it is now a vacant piece of land overlooking the Pacific Ocean on a spectacular point.
Joshua Tree: This National Park is where Medina's mother and brother Jim spent their camping trip together. This desolate Mojave Desert Park is a half-hour outside Palm Springs and features giant rock formations and magnificent blooming Joshua trees.
IV. Works By Joy Nicholson
The Tribes Of Palos Verdes (1998)
V. Questions:
All my research with Nicholson was done via e-mail, and I was privileged to ask her some questions about her novel and her life.
1. What made you write about the Peninsula and the surrounding South Bay?
"Palos Verdes is so rich to write about. It reminds me of a reef —its own little world with great natural beauty, and unseen predators."
The following is the entire interview with Joy Nicholson. It was a great pleasure to have the opportunity to have an interview with Nicholson, I hope you enjoy it!
Hi Blair,
I'm glad I checked email—
Let's see. I was born in Wisconsin, we moved around a lot until we landed in PV. My father—Jack Nicholson—is from a very large Irish family in Chicago. He went through Loyola College, Chicago. He studied business, and later opened his own company Fell/Nicholson Technology Resources. He is currently building a house in Spain—where he will live beginning next year. We are close. I am also very close to his wife, Tina. I do not know where my mother is, nor the particulars of her education. Sorry.
>>I wanted to know how many years you lived in LA and PV?
My family moved to PV when I was in kindergarten. It is still my main home now, though I travel about 6-8 months out of the year.
> > Did the mother, father and brother in the book represent any people in your life?
Tribes is dedicated to my brother, Jay, and in some ways the character of Jim is like him. Unfortunately I can't talk about my family, except to say it's a difficult (to me) one.
> > Do you surf? Have you ever surfed in Lunada Bay and did you know any of the Bay Boys?
My brother Jay was the surfer. He was so beautiful, amazing and graceful—he could surf anything. No fear. I think waves were a solace and escape for him from our family. Later, he got too sick to surf much. Yes, I knew the Bayboys.
> > What made you write about the PV peninsula, and the surrounding South Bay?
I had written a story about my brother for a literary piece called "One Little Ball." My (now) agent spotted the story and asked if I was writing a novel. I hadn't been until that point, but I decided to take the zine story and expand on it. Of course, it was set where my brother and I grew up—PV. PV is so rich to write about. It reminds me of a reef—it's own little world with great natural beauty, and unseen predators.
> > Are you working on any new novels, and if so, where do they take place?
My next novel is called "The Road To Esmeralda." It's sold but not finished. (Yikes.) Es. takes place between LA and Yucatan, Mexico. It's again set on the beach, though the beach this time is in the Carribean. It's very different than Tribes—a thriller instead of a personal, intimate story. It's in third person POV [point of view]—the first thing I've ever written in third person POV. I felt like writing another sad story after Tribes would kill me, so I went completely the opposite. I hope to be finished by August.
>>I also would like to know your educational status
I dropped out of college—Otis Parsons, then Santa Monica College—after one semester, and three semesters respectively. From then on I took many different jobs (waiter, dog groomer, bartender, art gallery salesperson, personal assistant, etc. etc.) and saved to see the world. That was all I ever really wanted to do. Even when I was in high school. I started traveling at about age 19—to Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America. I'd work just enough to leave, spend all the money, and come back and work some more. I'm not saying college isn't good for many people—it just wasn't good for me. I think people these days often forget that there are other ways to gain knowledge. Doing is the most important. Reading is the second most important. My main goal was to swim in every ocean in the world. It's still basically my main goal.
>> Any interesting personal history.
I'm married to a Val! (Which is richly ironic if you read Tribes.) We spend a lot of the year traveling because he works on animal documentary TV shows. (He's a sound guy.) This year we'll be going to Indonesia, Mexico, Belize, Honduras and ???? We love seeing/learning about all the amazing animals and living out of a tent and/or pop up trailer. Our much loved dog, Eric, a bull terrier, often travels with us. I am an ardent anti-vivisectionist and when I'm through with writing will go into activism full time. Probably after about four, five books.
>> I also would like to know if you have ever written for a college or local newspaper and or public media service.
I've written a very few things for newspapers and magazines. I'm not such a hot journalist, and I don't enjoy writing in that style.
>>If it is possible I need the address of our publisher.
St. Martin's Press. 175 Fifth Avenue. New York, NY. 10010
In answer to your last e-mail, you are very welcome. I hope the project turns out well and I'll look forward to seeing the site. I hope this helps as I'm leaving tomorrow for a while and
I won't be reading e-mail. Thanks Blair, good luck with your project. Bye!
Joy Nicholson
VI. Contact:
If you have any further questions for Nicholson her publisher's address is:
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10010
VII. Sources
Joy Nicholson. E-mail interview.
This essay was submitted by a student of Grant Farley, a teacher at San Pedro High School in San Pedro, California.