The Irene Blair Honeycutt Distinguished Lectureship was established in 2006 to honor founding director of CPCC’s Spring Literary Festival and dedicated English and creative writing instructor Irene Blair Honeycutt. Fourteen years before, she had a vision to create a literary festival at the college that would introduce students to award-winning authors, as well as provide a venue for the public and professional development opportunities for CPCC’s faculty and staff.

During her tenure at the festival’s director, Honeycutt brought noted authors such as Edward P. Jones, who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction later that year, revered poet Mary Oliver, and the late poet/scientist, Miroslav Holub from Prague. Noted writer and jazz musician James McBride enthralled audiences with both his message and music.

Honeycutt’s own works include two books of poetry, Waiting for the Trout to Speak (Novello Festival Press 2002) and It Comes As a Dark Surprise (Sandstone Publishing 1992), and a children’s book The Prince with the Golden Hair (D-N Publishers 2006). She continues to advise the college on nominees for the lectureship each year.