Personal and Professional
Along with its riches in working drafts of cherished works of modern literature, the Joy Williams Papers document the personal life and professional activities of the writer. Whether she is reading her own work or speaking of someone else’s, listening to Williams speak at a public event is a memorable experience. Since the early 1980s she has been an actively-sought-after workshop instructor across the country. Although a shy and private person who has never embraced the Internet, she remains connected to her peers, whether it’s through professional organizations and committees or copious postcard writing. And as with her stories, she has an unmistakable style all her own, cool and unassuming.