Cary Holladay

I feel lucky to live in beautiful Rapidan, Va., a historic river-and-railroad village. Rapidan is the setting for my novel-in-stories, Horse People (Louisiana State University Press). Much of my work, such as "Merry-Go-Sorry," about the West Memphis Three, and "Brides in the Sky," about a family on the Oregon Trail, is inspired by true-life events. Sample stories appear on the Works page. New stories are forthcoming in Alaska Quarterly Review, The Arkansas Review: A Journal of Delta Studies, and The Hudson Review. 

 

Fiction is my main focus, but I was delighted when Arcadia Publishing asked me to write a nonfiction pictorial history of Glen Allen, Va., where I spent my childhood. Images of America: Glen Allen includes vintage photos of founder John Cussons and his magnificent 1880s hotel, Forest Lodge; pioneering Black educator Virginia Randolph and her students; the story of Jack Bourne Park; and more. Many thanks to all who contributed information and photographs. 

 
Awards
National Endowment for the Arts
Tennessee Arts Commission

Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
O. Henry Prize for "Merry-Go-Sorry," inspired by the West Memphis 3 ; first published in Alaska Quarterly Review
Virginia Literary Awards, finalist, The Quick-Change Artist: Stories

Teaching

Woodberry Forest School, Visiting Writer

University of Memphis, Professor Emeritus; directed MFA program
University of Memphis, First Tennessee Professor
Pennsylvania State University, Fisher Family Writer-in-Residence 

Converse Low-Residency MFA

Wichita State University, Distinguished Visiting Writer 
Miami University of Ohio, Visiting Writer 
Fairmont State University, Artist in Residence

La Salle University, Writer in Residence