Robert Hays Robert Hays lives and teaches in Illinois, but his "second home" of South Carolina is the setting for his first novel,

Circles In The Water.

He describes his story as based on a theme by John Keats: "Pleasure is oft a visitant; but pain clings cruelly to us." Thus, his four principal characters experience severe problems and they understand they are paying the price for wrongs they did as kids.

Although the novel includes poverty, racism, drugs, and rape, the author says it also features many positive elements of South Carolina with good characters and descriptions of appealing places.

This writer was introduced to Columbia by Uncle Sam when he served a two- year stint in the Army. He decided to take advantage of the opportunity to attend college classes while in Columbia.

"I had not been to college, couldn't afford it," he says. Even though Columbia College was a women's college, I took courses there and later, after completing my Army service, they got me started on a college degree."

He now holds three degrees, and at age 73, teaches journalism at the University of Illinois.

Hays met Mary Corley, daughter of the late Gladys Corley in Columbia, and they were married at Forest Drive Baptist church.

They still visit Columbia often and South Carolina beaches. Robert Hays is an active participant in the South Carolina Writers' Workshop and author of four non- fiction books, of

which the best- known is G-2:

Intelligence for P atton, a collaboration with Gen. Oscar Koch, who was chief intelligence officer for Gen. George S. Patton Jr. in WWII. It has become a standard reference for military historians.