My Story - Cecil Willis discussing his memoir

Cecil. L. Willis, a native of Canton, North Carolina, is professor emeritus of sociology and criminology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. After retiring from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, he moved back to his beloved mountains.  He lives with his daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren in Alexander, NC.  

His first book, Hillbilly Odyssey: Resilience in a Small Mountain Mill Town, was published by Redhawk Publications in January 2024.  The book has received some positive responses since its publication. These include author events at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville and Blue Moon Books in Canton. The book was a recipient of the North Carolina Society of Historians Book Award of Excellence in 2024. WNC Magazine listed Hillbilly Odyssey as a recommended “Local Read” in its Winter 2025 Local Gift Guide.  A review of the book by Elaine Thomas entitled “Timely Portrayals of Place” was published in the October 2024 issue of the North Carolina Literary Review. The article was a joint review of the Willis book and David Joy’s novel Those We Thought We Knew. In the review she writes that “both authors draw on lived experience within their communities.  The settings are real and descriptions precise, so that, as with strong writing, the particular sheds light on the universal.”