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Martha Rose Woodward
Martha
Rose Woodward is a native of Leoma, Tennessee. Her keen interest in local
history began when she volunteered to work as a producer for a radio talk
show in Knoxville, Tennessee where she was sent to do research about local
political topics. When the 25th Anniversary of the Sunsphere rolled around,
she read every newspaper article on file in the local library. While gathering
information about the Sunsphere, Woodward also read ten boxes full of newspaper
clippings about the 1982 World’s Fair. This research led to her first
two books: Knoxville's Sunsphere: Biography of a Landmark, self- published
in September of 2007 and Knoxville's 1982 World's Fair published in February
2008 by Arcadia Publishing in Mr. Pleasant, South Carolina.
A 1975 graduate of the University of North Alabama with a B.S. Degree and a 1978 graduate of the University of Tennessee with a Master’s, Woodward settled in Knoxville, taking a job as an elementary school teacher, which she held for over 24 years. She completed a second Master’s Degree in 1992 majoring in guidance counseling.
After a serious health
problem ended her career in education in 1999, she turned her creative skills
towards a part-time career as a feature writer for The Knoxville Focus Newspaper
where she published over 100 articles. She was recruited to work for The
Knoxville Journal Newspaper where she has written and published more than
600 articles. Woodward was most recently asked to mentor other free lance
writers for the Knoxville Journal. She has also published articles in the
Seymour Herald Newspaper in Seymour, Tennessee.
Woodward enjoys spending her free time with her three grown children: son-Barrett;
daughters- Erin and Ashley Rose; and the family pets, Achilles and Buddy--the
dogs, and Ping, Meng, Wang--the Peking ducks.. She is also a life time quilt
maker whose quilt collection numbers over 60.
Woodward can often be found doing research in The East Tennessee Historical Center and in the City-County Building. She served as Education Committee Chairman for the Knoxville Writers’ Guild in 2009. She is a member of the Knoxville Woman’s Club, a group of local history enthusiasts who helped develop one of the first libraries in the city. She is also a member of Friends of the Library, and the Torch Club. Her local cable-access television show, Homespun Hobbies, airs twice weekly on Channel 12 Comcast, and is in its 4th season. www.ctvknox.org. Woodward is also a paid consultant for local political candidates and community organizations.
Her first novel, Even
Wounded Birds Fly debuted April 9, 2009. Woodward's 4th book, Seven Minutes
in Hell; The Eric McLean Murder Case was published in July 2009 in Bloomington,
Indiana by Authorhouse. Her second novel, The Diary of Rosa Lee Gibbs has
been completed and will debut soon.