Cash to lecture at GC&SU

Flannery O’Connor, one of Georgia College & State University most distinguished alumna, is the subject of a recently published book “Flannery O’Connor: A Life.” The author, Dr. Jean Cash will be a feature lecturer at GC&SU.

Dr. Jean Cash, of James Madison University, will speak at GC&SU on Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. in the Arts& Science Auditorium.

The Georgia Historical Society and its Baldwin County Affiliate Chapter,
The Center for Georgia Studies, Georgia’s Antebellum Capitol Society and The Old Governor’s Mansion are sponsoring Dr. Cash’s lecture.

Cash is a faculty member at James Madison University in the English Department where she teaches American Literature, Writing and Southern Literature (Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, Walker Percy, and Larry Brown). Cash has taught the works of Flannery O’Connor for 25 years.

“My background is a bit different from that of many college teachers. I was a high school teacher in Virginia and Delaware for about 16 years before I went to the University of Mississippi to earn my Ph.D. in English. Since 1980 I have taught at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia,” said Cash.

Cash has published many articles but “Flannery O’Connor: A Life” is her first book.

“I began research for the book at the end of the 1980′s began writing it in 1992 and completed the first draft by the end of 1998,” Cash said.

The book is a biography of Flannery O’Connor. It chronicles the life of
the woman who wrote 32 short stories, two novels and numerous literary reviews in 39 years. Her literary career was cut short when she died in 1964 from complications from lupus.

“My book presents, I hope, a fairly detailed portrait of O’Connor based primarily on my extensive interviews with people who knew her at every period in her life. I conducted these interviews in Savannah and Milledgeville as well as through the mail, even by telephone in several instances,” said Cash. “I consider my audience to be students, scholars, and anyone who is interested in the biography of a genuinely fascinating woman, whose life and writing career ended much too soon.”

Cash’s biography is based on research and interviews over a number of years. Reading O’Connor’s writing is what sparked Cash’s interest in her life.

“Reading O’Connor’s letters in ‘The Habit of Being’ stimulated my interest in O’Connor’s fiction and her life,” Cash said.

The lecture given by Cash will be “Writing Flannery O’Connor: A Life, a Personal Odyssey” and will be followed by a reception for the author and a book signing.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 30 2002. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry