About Joyce Boatright, EdD

A: I was born in upstate New York in an Air Force hospital right after World War II. On New Year’s Eve, as a matter of fact, which endeared me to my father because I was a welcomed tax deduction. My older brother Stone was not terribly thrilled to have a sister. I understand that he bit me on the foot when I got home from the hospital. But I adored him anyway and followed him everywhere.

A: I’ve always heard conversations in my head. I used to think I was weird, but now I know the voices are just characters wanting to be heard. I love words and the way they play with each other on a line. I’m incessantly curious about people and why they do the things they do. And I just love a good story!

A: I attended public school in Huntsville, Texas, and then enrolled in the state teacher’s college there. I always wanted to teach and write, so my dad convinced me to major in English. It wasn’t a tough sale—everyone had to have two years of English on their degree plan and being an English major sounded smarter than undecided. By my junior year I hated English, though. My professors were indifferent about their vocations and I was, too. So I changed my major to journalism and I found my niche, working against deadlines and chain-smoking Marlboros. My professors were great—most of them worked for the daily Houston newspaper, and so we got the inside story as well as tips about how to get quotes out of reluctant interviewees. I ended up working on my hometown paper, but by the end of three months, a teacher’s paycheck looked better than the skimpy weekly wages I was earning, so I took a job teaching journalism in Houston. Graduate school changed my direction to marketing and public relations, which I did—for twelve years. Now I’ve returned to teaching and writing. Life is good.

A: I was named for my mother. When I got to high school my dad wanted me to go by the name Junior. He thought the name would be memorable for a girl. I thought it would be the kiss of death. I kept telling him: “No, Daddy! I just can’t imagine a guy saying, ‘I love you, Junior.’” And in those days, my main concern was capturing a handsome boy’s heart.

A: I have been blessed by two admirable authors who share a writers pod with me—novelist Karleen Koen and poet Sandi Stromberg. They are my strength and my courage when my muse gets too quiet and my internal critic gets too loud. In addition to them, I admire Anne Lamont for her honesty, Maya Angelou for her hope, and James Patterson for his storytelling.

A: I enjoy traveling. I have spent my birthday in incredible places: shopping in Paris, snorkeling off the Yucatan Peninsular, sightseeing in the Grand Canyon. I also enjoy hanging out with my son and his wife. I'm the proud owner of a great little Harley sportster, and I love riding with other “HOGs” on the weekends.

A: When I was twelve, I started the Future Writers Club with three of my girlfriends. Anyone could be in the club, but I insisted that aspiring members had to write something in order to join. We met every week and read our stories. I wrote mostly westerns back then. I was crazy about horses and the countryside. My favorite book was entitled Texas Star… it was about a horse, of course. I also loved to read biographies about Davy Crockett and Sam Houston and Eli Whitney.