Elizabeth Baird Hardy

Elizabeth Baird Hardy author of Milton, Spenser, and the Chronicles of Narnia: Literary Sources for the C.S. Lewis Novels (McFarland 2007),  is a Senior Instructor of English at Mayland Community College where she was awarded the 2006 Excellence in Teaching award. A caring but demanding instructor, she teaches several composition and literature courses as well as Appalachian Culture, Storytelling, and Myth in Human Culture. She has taught in both university and community college settings, and prefers the latter, especially since her community college students and colleagues encouraged her to discover Twilight.

Hardy’s areas of expertise and interest are primarily the works of Lewis, Milton, and Spenser, as well as Twilight, Harry Potter, and The Hunger Games, though she has a passion for a diverse array of literature. She also specializes in Appalachian Culture and Civil War history, particularly with regards to civilians in the mountains, and works closely with her husband, Civil War author and historian Michael C. Hardy. She contributed two chapters to Twilight and History (Wiley, 2010) : “Jasper Hale, the Oldest Living Confederate Veteran,”  and  “Smoky Mountain Twilight: The Appalachian Roots of Emmett McCarty Cullen and His Family.”

An engaging and enthusiastic presenter who brings her storytelling experience into her interpretation of literature,  Hardy has presented at several national conferences, including C.S. Lewis: the Man and his Work, the Women of Appalachia Conference, the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival[http://www.cmlitfest.org/past-authors], and the Witching Hour in Salem, MA.  She will be presenting at this summer’s Infinitus in Orlando, FL. She delivers literature and history programs and discussions at libraries, schools, and community centers as well, allowing her to encourage the joy of learning  and the power of texts when we see them as more than mere words on page.  See this link for a podcast of a literary Twilight discussion she led for students and the community. As a storyteller and historic interpreter, Elizabeth Baird Hardy brings to life history, literature, and Appalachian culture for students and audiences of all sizes.  She lives with her family on the side of a mountain in western North Carolina where one may just get a glimpse of a faun carrying an umbrella and wrapped packages on a snowy evening.