Connie Williams

Connie's latest work: Audacity: Story of a Legendary Hero published August 2, 2021. An AWAP Imprint, ISBN 9780578962283.

Jeffrey L. Wilkins, PhD, Psychology, North Carolina Central University writes: “Connie Williams utilizes a historical, psychological and cultural analysis to convince the audience that Robert Franklin Williams is an all too often forgotten figure in the civil rights movement.”

Connie Williams is a local figure known for her distinguished career as a skillful writer of prose and poetry. Until her retirement in 2014, she was a lecturer of English Composition and Rhetoric at UNC, at Charlotte, and an English instructor at Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Piedmont High Schools. Her first book, an inspirational, fictionalized autobiography entitled, Emily’s Blues 1989. [The term "fictional autobiography" signifies novels about a fictional character written as though the character were writing their own autobiography, meaning that the character is the first-person narrator and that the novel addresses both internal and external experiences of the character. Daniel Defoe's Moll Flanders is an early example. Charles Dickens' David Copperfield is another such classic, and J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye is a well-known modern example of fictional autobiography. Charlotte Brontė's Jane Eyre is yet another example of fictional autobiography, as noted on the front page of the original version. The term may also apply to works of fiction purporting to be autobiographies of real characters, e.g., Robert Nye's Memoirs of Lord Byron]. Emily's Blues told how a young divorcee, mother of four, went from poverty to a professional and showcased in the “Dare to Dream Project”, Z Smith Reynolds Foundation, 1990. Connie's other titles include: Green; Jon and Lale's Dance; Confession of the Onion Ring King (her first children's book); This Life: Through Grace, Hope, Mercy. She is the recipient of the Arts and Science Council Emerging Artist Award for Emily's Blues. Her novel’s stage play adaptation, entitled Emily’s Dilemma, received the Honorable Terry Sanford Award for Creativity Honorable Mention, and was performed at Livingstone College at Salisbury, and Piedmont High by her students.

Her dedication to arts education and outreach led Williams to create, the Emily’s Blues Self-Actualization Project, and she volunteered her services to help deter high school dropouts. The program received the Union County Community Arts Council Award for eight years at Piedmont High School where her book was used with students. She has volunteered her services to Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies, the University of South Carolina, at Lancaster; the International Young Writers Program, in Charlotte. She has presented readings and facilitated writing workshops at: Barnes and Noble, at Charlotte Libraries, Imagine On, Ebenezer Baptist Church, the Nile Theater, and UNC, Center City Campus at Charlotte; Spirit Square, Charlotte; Afro American Cultural Center, Charlotte. She is a Christa McAuliffe Fellow finalist, and nominated teacher of the year at Piedmont High School.

She is a contributing author to the following publications: “Mama Allie’s Talking Dogs…” stories and recipes of Carolina cuisine, Hungry for Home, Rogers. Novello Festival Press: 2003. A short story excerpt, Emily’s Blues, and a collection of poetry, The National Literary Circular: 1990. Original poetry, A Sun-filled Dream: 1989. Classroom consultant: A History of the World textbook: Houghton Mifflin: Boston. 1988. Williams is the recipient of the 1996 North Carolina Arts Council Award, and The National Endowment for the Arts Award for an eight-weeks Fellowship at Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, California, 1996. She is a former Writing Fellow of the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, 1992. Named Who's Who Among America's Teachers, multiple years, 5th Edition, Vol. II.

A native of North Carolina, she has ten siblings. Connie attributes her creativity to her parents who were wonderful storytellers, who celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary 2009 and passed shortly afterward. She is a wife, mother, grand and great- grandmother. She graduated from Cal State University, Northridge (B.A. Degree-English), and the University of North Carolina, at Charlotte (M.Ed. Degree-Education). She resides with her husband in NC.