Celebrated South Carolina writer Elizabeth Boatwright Coker, author of Daughter of Strangers, Blood Red Roses, and La Belle, reflects on a life shaped by storytelling from its very beginning. Born in Darlington, she knew she wanted to be a writer even before she could write. She remained devoted to fiction, continuing to write even while raising a family and working in hospitals during World War II.
Her literary career took a pivotal turn when a short story she presented at a 1938 conference was praised by Robert Frost, who urged her to expand it into a novel which was later published as Daughter of Strangers in 1948. The interview features Coker reading from that novel, sharing poetry from her college years titled A Summer Day, and offering excerpts of Gullah from Daughter of Strangers. It also includes her powerful 1992 South Carolina Hall of Fame induction speech, honoring a lifetime of dedication to Southern voices and stories, as she continues work on a book of family tales.
Patti Just, host of the Writers' Circle of South Carolina, talks with authors and poets from across the state and country whose work highlights South Carolina’s rich history, diverse culture, and people.
