Episode 42: Moxie by Proxy: Nat Benchley on Peter Benchley

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Fifty years ago, a human vs. beast thriller set in a summer beach town was published and devoured by readers. That book was Jaws, a best-selling novel that spawned a blockbuster movie the following year. Between the book and the film, we were all afraid to go back in the water.

Peter Benchley, an established journalist and speechwriter, was instantly catapulted to fame as an author. Getting to that point took moxie! In this Moxie by Proxy episode, we talk with Nat Benchley, Peter’s brother. Through Nat, we learn more about Peter’s writing and how he often took a true story or incident and asked the question, “What if…?” An article that Peter carried in his wallet about a shark caught off Montauk became the launching point for Jaws.

Having lived on Nantucket in his youth, Peter understood the tensions between the summer population and the year-rounders and the dependence of a small beach town on the income they make during the summer months. These social and economic dynamics form the backdrop to the drama unfolding on the water.

The impact of Jaws, both book and movie, was a tidal wave of aggression against, and misunderstandings about, sharks. In the wake of that unfortunate outbreak, Peter and his wife Wendy began a lifelong crusade to educate about sharks and advocate for policies that protect them. Wendy Benchley continues that work today. Once educated about the fascinating world of sharks, Peter declared he could never again write a tale that villainized those magnificent creatures. He spent the rest of his life advocating for the protection and preservation of the species.

To understand Peter’s creative moxie, Nat delves into the Benchley family. Nat recounts stories of their grandfather, Robert Benchley, humorist, writer, actor, and member of the famed Algonquin Round Table; his father, Nathaniel Benchley, author of numerous books and articles, including The Off-Islanders, which became the movie “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming!;” Peter as a journalist, author, and ocean advocate; and himself as a writer, actor, and performer.

The intergenerational creative moxie running through the Benchley family is solid and enduring.

This Main Street Moxie episode is proudly sponsored by Scenic Hudson and Thorunn Designs.

Resources

Peter Benchley website

Wendy Benchley website

Oblong Books: Jaws

Algonquin Hotel: Algonquin Roundtable

Robert_Benchley Wikipedia

Nathaniel Benchley Wikipedia

Nat Benchley Wikipedia

Nat Benchley website

 

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