From her classroom to the Coliseum, from her book club to the Bridge of Sighs, Phyllis Dunning has led a long and colorful life devoted to teaching the great works of literature.
The chic, worldly, and vivacious Ms. Dunning invites readers to join her as she shares a lifetime of amusing, heartfelt, and illuminating stories drawn from her travels, art, family, and friendships. She writes as though speaking to an old friend, yet you can easily picture her at the front of a classroom, silk scarf and pearls perfectly in place, captivating her audience as she delivers, chapter by chapter, her lesson plan for a life well lived.
Excitement for Mrs. Dunning!
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![A smiling portrait of musician Ben Folds.]()
“Ms. Dunning was one of the few teachers who didn’t let me get away with being a jackass in high school. She didn’t believe I was that person, and she still comes out to my shows when I come through town.”
Ben Folds
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![Susan Jaffe]()
“When I was Dean of Dance at UNCSA, I deeply valued Mrs. Dunning’s unwavering presence and generous support of our students. In these pages, she offers a true masterclass in purposeful living—equal parts personal, philosophical, and practical. It is a moving testament to the lasting power of reflection.”
Susan Jaffe
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![David Parsons]()
“We love Mrs. Dunning! She has been a longtime enthusiastic champion of Parsons Dance and the artistic community at large. We are thrilled she has written this book. Everyone definitely has something to learn from her. ”
David Parsons
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![Michael Wilson]()
“[T]rust me: if Phyllis Dunning is dishing out advice, it’s worth listening to. Yet, this book is so much more than advice… [T]his book is a companion for the path ahead. It invites you to pause, reflect, and reconnect—with your values, your vision, and your voice.”
Michael Wilson
Lessons in living beautifully
Mrs. Dunning reminds readers that, “Happiness, like teaching, is best shared, nurtured through kindness, laughter, and the lasting connections that make a life truly full.”
WXII 12’s Audrey Biesk spoke with Dunning and co-author and dear friend Joyce Storey about what it was like to collaborate together to write the book.
In a story for the Winston-Salem Journal, reporter Lisa O’Donnell highlights how Dunning collaborated with co-writer and longtime friend Joyce Storey to capture the “pearls of wisdom” she developed over a lifetime of teaching, learning, and inspiring others—offering readers a thoughtful roadmap for living with intention.
“When we consolidated the city and the county systems, then we integrated faculties, then we integrated students. It was during all of that that I became more and more aware of being so grateful that I was living in that magical time just to get to be a part of all of it.”
88.5 WFDD’s David Ford spoke with Mrs. Dunning and co-author and dear friend Joyce Storey about capturing her memories and what it was like to work together when writing the book.
From her classroom to the Coliseum, from garden luncheons to grand opera, Phyllis Dunning has spent a lifetime teaching—and living—the art of curiosity, compassion, and grace. With wit and warmth, she reflects on the lessons that shaped her: the power of books and beauty, the joy of travel, the value of friendship, and the quiet strength of gratitude.
Told in a voice both elegant and intimate, A Life Well Lived is part memoir, part master class; a love letter to learning, giving, and the pursuit of a life illuminated by art and heart in equal measure. Through her stories, Phyllis reminds us that happiness, like teaching, is best when shared, nurtured through kindness, laughter, and the lasting connections that make a life truly full.
About the Authors
Phyllis Dunning has been a beloved English literature teacher to thousands of students in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, over the course of her 33-year career in education. Throughout her inspiring life, she has traveled the globe, nurtured lasting relationships with students, artists, and friends, and championed the arts at every level. Phyllis has generously supported numerous cultural institutions, including the Winston-Salem Symphony, Piedmont Opera, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Reynolda House Museum of American Art.
Joyce Storey is an award-winning, New York City–based writer, actor, and producer, and a close friend of Phyllis Dunning for many years. Besides collaborating with Phyllis, she has written plays—including Caged and Time Wars—and is the co-author of two books, 75 Monologues Kids Will Love! and 101 Awesome Original Monologues for 20-Somethings. Joyce is the President of Bentley Productions, a theatrical lighting company representing the designs of Tony Award–winning Howell Binkley, and she sits on the board of Parsons Dance. She enjoys traveling, entertaining, and writing.