Pat Conroy

Pat Conroy grew up in a military family that moved 23 times before he was 18 years old. Conroy graduated from The Citadel, after which he worked as a teacher in South Carolina. Conroy would later write the novels The Lords of Discipline and My Losing Season based on his experiences at The Citadel, and The Water Is Wide based on his experiences as a teacher. In 1976, Conroy published The Great Santini, which was later made into an Oscar-nominated film. His most popular novel, The Prince of Tides, was also made into an Academy Award-nominated movie. Conroy is considered a leading figure of Southern literature in the late 20th century.