“Joyce Blaylock has been a key supporter and volunteer for the Southern Festival of Books since its inception 24 years ago. Her knowledge of Southern literature and her dedication to the writing community have helped the Festival to become one of the foremost book events in the nation.” — Serenity Gerbman, Southern Festival of Books
As a graduate student at the University of South Carolina, Joyce Blaylock studied under the late James Dickey who became her mentor and friend. She also played a major role with writer-in-residence, William Price Fox, in the coordination and development of the Spring Author Series at USC in the early eighties, and through this endeavor, became acquainted with, and was befriended by, such notables as the late William Styron, Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut. George Garrett, Tom Wolfe, John Irving and Nora Ephron, among many others, were also a part of the series. She remained close friends with both Joseph Heller and William Styron until the time of their deaths.
While teaching in Cardiff, Wales, on a Fullbright Scholarship, ’94-’95, Blaylock brought British author Nigel Hinton to St. Cyres School in Cardiff, duplicating what she had implemented in the Nashville School System, a scaled down version of the author series at the University of South Carolina. She has maintained contact with Hinton, as well as Count Nikolai Tolstoi, The Coming of the King, after being introduced to him at an Arthurian Day celebration at the University of Cardiff. Blaylock was also on location with the filming of John Jakes’ North and South for five weeks in Charleston, St. Francisville, and Natchez and served a four year term with the Tennessee Film Commission.
Blaylock was hospitality chairperson for Nashville’s Southern Festival of Books during its first ten years. Since that time she has worked with Humanities Tennessee on this extraordinary October Book Festival and is on the planning committee for its 25th Anniversary in 2013.
She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Giles County Public Library. She enjoys raising funds to promote the love of the written word into the outlying country side where she owns a farm.
She first heard of Adelicia at age sixteen when she and her teenage peers sat listening to the dean of her high school tell the fascinating tales of the 19th century Nashvillian. Blaylock was intrigued by Adelicia’s ability to triumph despite the obstacles, to meet the unexpected with force and her refusal to become a victim. Blaylock’s desire to tell the story has never wavered.
Joyce is a native of Nashville, TN where she currently lives with her husband, two dogs and one cat.
Joyce Blaylock 