Erlene McCarty Smith earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg. She taught English at Poplarville High School and Pearl Riv...view moreErlene McCarty Smith earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg. She taught English at Poplarville High School and Pearl River Community College. Smith has written for several magazines and newspapers. She and her husband Harold (now deceased) have four children and four grandchildren.view less