PEEK, Dan William 1945-

PERSONAL:

Born August 29, 1945, in Omaha, NE; son of George (a broom and hammer-handle peddler) and Clarica Faye (a practical nurse; maiden name, Manes; present surname, Earhardt) Peek; married Joy Lynn Williams (a microbiologist), July 1, 2000; children: Rachael Cailliach, Sarah Perez. Education: Attended Central Missouri State College (now University), 1963-64, and Boston University, 1973-74. Politics: "Unreconstructed liberal." Religion: Presbyterian. Hobbies and other interests: Old-style five-string banjo, golf, fishing.

ADDRESSES:

Home—4802 North Roemer Rd., Columbia, MO 65202. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Consultant, entrepreneur, musician, and author. U.S. Industries, New York, NY, internal auditor, 1978-81; Alpha Business Center, Inc., Derry, NH, franchise owner, 1981-84; VR Business Brokers, Inc., Boston, MA, consultant, 1984-87; Franchise Objectives, Inc., Boston, president and chief executive officer, 1987-92; writer, 1992—. Musician; member of Celebrated Renaissance Band.

WRITINGS:

To the Point: The Story of Darts in America, photographs by Bill Batty and Kathryn Cunningham, Pebble Publishing (Rocheport, MO), 2001.

Contributor of articles, essays, and reviews to periodicals, including American Way, Games Annual, and Journal of American Folklore.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

A book on "some of the processes and practices, myths, and manipulations that drive the American commercial culture," publication by Pebble Publishing expected in 2003; Rasta Pasta, a novel.

SIDELIGHTS:

Dan William Peek told CA: "I have been a writer all of my adult life. In addition to mountains of marketing and advertising copy, I have written articles, essays, and reviews. However, it was not until I experienced a lengthy bout of heart disease, hospitalizations, and surgeries in the mid-1990s that I made the decision to get serious about writing books. I had a wealth of material: not only had I by then lived on the planet for over half a century, I had been taking notes. What I had lacked to that point was the clear focus that a near-fatal illness can bring to human understanding. I no longer lack that focus.

"My general objective in writing books is to describe some of the complexities of American culture in plain language and simple structure of the sort exemplified by the writings of Robert L. Heilbroner and Henri Pirenne. In terms of voice and narrative structure, I have been influenced by the work of contemporary Irish writers, notably Tim Pat Coogan, and 'creative nonfiction' American writers, in particular the author and folklorist Keith Cunningham.

"I write most willingly about activities which seem to have meaning beyond their immediate cultural impact; for example, the sport of darts in America. But I do not limit the scope of my subjects. In the past few years, I have discovered some very fundamental things about writing: writers write and do so for the same reasons that fish swim and dogs bark; writers may not always publish, but they always write; and writing is about the truth. The truth is fascinating and unlimited in scope.

"I am still taking notes."