Terry Kay to discuss works at first of new lecture series

Nationally acclaimed, award-winning novelist and screenwriter Terry Kay will share insights on his works and relate some of his distinctive southern wisdom at “An Evening with Terry Kay,” August 24, 2006 at 7 p.m. The event is the first in the new “Authors of Excellence Series” cosponsored by CLICK (Certified Literacy is Coweta’s Key) and the Odyssey Reading Group of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. The program promises to be a real treat for Kay fans and anyone interested in southern literature, creative writing or wry wit. The event will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 576 Roscoe Road in Newnan.

Kay, a 2006 Georgia Writers Hall of Fame inductee, is a prolific author. His works, which have been described as capturing the essence of the southern experience, include nine novels, a children’s book, a collection of nonfiction prose, and several screenplays. Kay’s best-selling novel “To Dance with the White Dog” was televised by the Hallmark Hall of Fame. Among the awards Kay has received are the 2004 Townsend Prize for Fiction for “The Valley of Light,” the 1991 Southeastern Library Association Outstanding Author of the Year Award for “To Dance with the White Dog,” and the 1981 Georgia Author of the Year Award for “After Eli.” Kay also won an Emmy in 1990 for his original teleplay “Run Down the Rabbit.” His other novels include “Taking Lottie Home,” “The Kidnapping of Aaron Greene,” “The Runaway,” “Shadow Song,” “Dark Thirty” and “The Year the Lights Came On.”

Kay was born in 1938 in Hart County, as the eleventh of twelve children. He grew up on a farm, played football for Royston High School and earned a B.A. in social science from LaGrange College. Through a series of random life events, he found himself in Atlanta desperate for a job. He got his start in journalism writing for the Decatur/Dekalb News followed by a job with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a sports writer and film/theater critic. “I had dinner with Ann-Margret, a two-hour lunch with Alfred Hitchcock and stayed up half the night with Vincent Price,” Terry Kay shared in an interview with the Augusta Chronicle. In 1968, Kay was named one of the eight best theater critics in the nation by the Sang Jury on Fine Art Criticism. Kay’s friend and fellow novelist, Pat Conroy, pushed him to begin submitting creative fiction for publication, and the rest is history. Kay now lives with his wife in Athens, Georgia; the couple has four children and four grandchildren.

Georgia Public Broadcasting radio reporter and producer, St. John (“Sinjun”) Flynn, will serve as host for the event. Flynn is known statewide for his show “Cover to Cover,” which highlights Southern literature and authors. Flynn has been a network morning host for NPR’s “Morning Edition” and his work has been recognized by the Georgia Associated Press; the Society of Professional Journalists; the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists; the Georgia Historical Society; and PRNDI (the national Public Radio News Directors association). He also serves on the advisory board of the Georgia Center for the Book, and on the board of directors of the Stanley W. Lindberg Literary Award.

The Authors of Excellence Series is an extension of the efforts of two community organizations dedicated to literary arts and literacy – the Odyssey Reading Group of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and CLICK. The Odyssey Reading Group was formed in recognition of the role that the historical church played as a cultural patron of the arts. The group explores the connection between arts and spirituality by examining the literary works of renowned authors. St. Paul’s Church is committed to the spiritual, physical and emotional well-being of its members and the larger Coweta County community. As a congregation of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, it is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. CLICK, created in response to census figures showing that 1 in 3 Cowetans lacked minimum workforce literacy skills, is affiliated with Georgia’s Certified Literate Community program and works closely with the Coweta County School System and other educational resources in the county. It is primarily a volunteer organization whose mission is to focus all community resources to promote literacy and lifelong learning.

The Authors of Excellence Series will feature noteworthy authors of regional and national reputation in a variety of events including readings, lectures and discussions. The programs will be free and open to the public. For more information or to make a free reservation for “An Evening with Terry Kay,” please visit the series’ Web site, www.AuthorsOfExcellence.org, or call 770-253-4264.

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