After earning her doctorate in cinema studies at the University of Southern California, Joanne taught and wrote about film history for many years. She is the author of dozens of articles about Classic Hollywood and the co-author of "Movie Westerns" and "Our Movie Heritage." In 1995, she followed her family roots to central Virginia where she fell head over heels in love with Buckingham County. The results include two books, "'At a Place Called Buckingham' . . . Historic Sketches of Buckingham County, Virginia" (Slate River Press, 2011) and The Jefferson Brothers (Slate River Press, 2012). In 2012, she launched a blog, "Slate River Ramblings,"(slateriverramblings.com)which focuses on Buckingham County, Virginia and environs. Today, her fascination for Virginia has translated into a full-time occupation. When she is not exploring in the field, avoiding ticks and snakes, she can be found digging through dusty papers in county court houses or spending endless hours reading microfilm in libraries and archives. In between adventures, she lives in Kettering, Ohio. Visit Joanne online at joannelyeck.com.