Page 22 - Harnett Life Winter 2020

Author Eve Rizzo

visits CCCC

Eve Rizzo discusses her book, ‘Clarrie Hancock,’ at Central Carolina Community College.

Listening to Eve Rizzo discuss her book, “Clarrie Hancock,”
it’s easy to get absorbed into the engaging stories she tells and Her audience was clearly engaged with Rizzo’s stories. The au-
lose track of one remarkable fact — that the 93-year-old author thor recited dialog with some theatrical flair and even stopped
didn’t have her only novel published until just 10 years ago. on occasion to add a little background. Sometimes it was some-
thing as simple as explaining how “tea” in England is more of
Speaking at Central Carolina Community College recently in an evening meal than a beverage break. Other times, it was
a presentation billed as “It’s a Novel Event,” Rizzo began by more personal and reflective, like when she cut her wrist out of
reading a few short excerpts from the book recounting her ex- frustration while trying to do a job she knew she couldn’t man-
perience as a young girl struggling to survive in an impover- age. Rizzo decided at the time to bleed to death, but someone
ished town just outside of Manchester, England. came looking for her and called an ambulance. It saved her life.

Rizzo and families around her were faced with dire circum- But what captured the audience’s imagination as much as the
stances. People were so poor that ladies wore shoes issued by autobiographical novel, itself, was Rizzo’s experience writing
the city, and Eve left her formal education behind at age 14 to it: How did an 80-some-year-old woman suddenly become a
start work and earn a living. novelist?

But she still found comfort and a sense of escape in reading Like other stories shaping her life, that one also had a strong el-
and, along the way, decided to rebel against the rigid class ement of fate. Rizzo had written poetry and a few short stories
structure that threatened to limit her options in life. When the when she met Laurel Goldman, an author and writing coach
Nazi blitz during World War II destroyed much of the world teaching adult-education classes at Duke University. Goldman
around her, the 15-year-old ventured away from home, begin- invited Rizzo into a small writing class, with one caveat: what
ning a journey she never could have imagined. Rizzo had already produced had to meet the instructor’s high