Rediscovering Ann Head: Nancy Thode on Her Mother's Trailblazing Journey | HarmonyTALK #83

twinflamecreativea
Jun 4
1 min read

Updated: Jun 5

First-time author Nancy Thode has written a biography of her mother, the writer Ann Head, whom Nancy describes as a woman “very much ahead of her time.” Ann Head supported her family through her writing, something very rare in the 1940s and 50s, and even in the 1960s. Her short stories were published widely by the magazines of the day, such as McCall’s and Colliers, and one of her novels, Mr. & Mrs. Bo Jones was made into a movie. She was a mentor to fellow writer Pat Conroy, who sang her praises in more ways than one. Yet many if not all of Ann Head’s books are out of print or difficult to find. Nancy hopes the biography of her mother called “Ahead of her Time: The Trailblazing Life and Literary Legacy of Ann Head” will reconnect the world with her mother’s work. She spoke to Lisa Champeau from her vacation home on Fripp Island, not far from her native Beaufort, where Ann was not just a working mom but a legend.