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. She teaches composition and literature courses as well as Myth in Human Culture and classes in Appalachian culture and storytelling. She also guest lectures at other schools, colleges, and universities.
In addition to the works of Lewis, Milton, and Spenser, Hardy’s areas of expertise and interest include Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Twilight, though she has a passion for a diverse array of literature and works of popular culture, such as Star Wars and Star Trek. She also specializes in Appalachian Culture and Civil War history, particularly with regards to civilians in the mountains. She works closely with her husband, award-winning Civil War author and historian Michael C. Hardy; along with their children, they frequently serve as interpreters at historic sites, teaching about a variety of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century topics.
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, the Witching Hour in Salem, MA, and LeakyCon and 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. 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, on a snowy evening, one may just get a glimpse of a faun carrying an umbrella and wrapped packages.
Selected Publications
Books
! Milton, Spenser, and the Chronicles of Narnia: Literary Sources for the C.S. Lewis Novels (McFarland 2006)
Contributor
! “‘Where You Can Starve to Death in Safety’: District 12 and Appalachia” in Critical Insights: The Hunger Games (Grey House, 2016)
! “Shakespeare in the Original Klingon” in Star Trek and History (Wiley 2013)
! Preface to Dr. Monika Hilder’s The Feminine Ethos in The Chronicles of Narnia (Peter Lang 2012)
! “Horcruxes in Faeryland: Edmund Spenser’s Influence on Voldemort’s Efforts to Elude Death” inHarry Potter for Nerds (Unlocking Press 2012).
! “Jasper Hale, the Oldest Living Confederate Veteran,” and “Smoky Mountain Twilight: The Appalachian Roots of Emmett McCarty Cullen and His Family” in Twilight and History (Wiley 2010)
! Entries for Encyclopedia of Appalachia (2006)
Articles
! “Brett Loftis Strengthens Fabric of Crossnore School” and “A Bridge from the Past: The Fight to Save the Historic Footbridge Across 221” in Carolina Mountain Life (Autumn 2015)
! “Science and Spotlights; AHS Players Shine under the Direction of Coleman Bailey II” in Carolina Mountain Life (Spring 2015)
! “Banner Elk’s Historic Cemetery: Where History Rests” in Carolina Mountain Life (Autumn 2014)
! “A Storied Life: Remembering Ruthie Houston and The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree” and “From the Oven to the Stars: What’s Popping up This Spring at Mayland Community College” inCarolina Mountain Life (Spring 2014)
! “It’s a Small World Right Here in the High Country ” in Carolina Mountain Life (Winter 2013-2014)
! “What College Admissions Counselors Won’t Tell You: The Real Secrets to College Success” and “Maria Santomossa-Hyde: Answering the Call of the High Country” in Carolina Mountain Life(Summer 2013)
! “The Crossnore School: A Century of Miracles” and “Tunes, Tales, and True Mountain Heritage: The Magic of Rhody Jane Meadows” in Carolina Mountain Life (Spring 2013)
! “Dr. Charles Baker Center for Primary Care: New Name, Same Remarkable Care” in Carolina Mountain Life (Winter 2012/2013)
! “Carrying the Torch”: Dr. Phyllis Crain’s Contribution to the On-Going Crossnore Legacy” and “Our Friend, the Bat” in Carolina Mountain Life (Autumn 2012)
! “All Things New… Hebron Colony at 65 Years” in Carolina Mountain Life (Summer 2012)
! “Nine Reasons to Get Fired Up about The Hunger Games” in Carolina Mountain Life (Spring/ Summer 2012)
! “Writer Karen Hall and Her Black Bear Books Adventure: Books, and Bears, and Yarn, Oh My!”inCarolina Mountain Life (Holiday/Early Winter 2011/2012)
! “Upcoming Literary opportunities for Readers and Writers in the High Country” in Carolina Mountain Life (Autumn 2011)
! “‘And Thereby Hangs a Tale’: Sharyn McCrumb’s New Telling of Tom Dooley’s Old Story” inCarolina Mountain Life (Summer 2011)
! “New Gloria Houston Book Honors Traveling Librarians: Rural Bookmobile to Brave New Worlds” in Carolina Mountain Life ( Spring/ Summer 2011)
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