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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250301T093000
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DTSTAMP:20260507T081111
CREATED:20260427T134531Z
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SUMMARY:Monthly Teddy Bear Picnic Read-Aloud with DAYLO
DESCRIPTION:On the first Saturday of every month\, you can join the student volunteers of DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization for a Teddy Bear Picnic read-aloud at the Port Royal Farmers Market (1615 Ribaut Rd.). In collaboration with the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center\, high school and college student volunteers from the Beaufort-based chapters of DAYLO gather at the gazebo in Naval Heritage Park from 9:30 a.m. to noon to read diverse\, inclusive picture books to children and their families\, inspiring a love of stories\, books\, reading\, and peer-to-peer mentoring.  \nCozy blankets\, a plethora of stuffed animals\, and some snacks help the students make a welcoming environment in this free community literacy program. Several times a year\, National Park Service Ranger Katherine Freeman also joins in for Read with a Ranger\, a literacy and art project thematically connected to the missions of DAYLO\, the Conroy Center\, and the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park.  \nDAYLO is a student-led diversity themed book club and community service group founded at Beaufort High School and now with chapters across South Carolina. Learn more at: https://linktr.ee/DAYLOBFT. \nThe Pat Conroy Literary Center is a nonprofit interpretive and learning center advancing the legacy of beloved\, bestselling writer\, educator\, and mentor Pat Conroy (1945-2016)\, author of The Water Is Wide\, The Great Santini\, The Prince of Tides\, and more. Learn more at: www.patconroyliterarycenter.org.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/monthly-teddy-bear-picnic-read-aloud-with-daylo-13/
LOCATION:Port Royal Farmers Market
CATEGORIES:Other
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250301T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250302T153000
DTSTAMP:20260507T081111
CREATED:20260427T134531Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T114523Z
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SUMMARY:Ninth Annual March Forth Weekend
DESCRIPTION:Our Conroy Center’s ninth annual March Forth will be held on Saturday\, March 1\, and Sunday\, March 2\, with educational programs in Beaufort\, Port Royal\, St. Helena Island\, and online. This special event commemorates the anniversary of Pat Conroy’s passing on March 4\, 2016\, by engaging with major themes of his writing and teaching life\, including social justice\, inclusivity\, conservation\, education\, truth-telling\, and storytelling. \nMarch Forth will include appearances by:\n* Ashley Hope Pérez: YA novelist\, educator\, advocate\, and editor of Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights\n* Kimberly Brock: novelist\, past Georgia Author of the Year\, and author of The Fabled Earth\, a finalist for the Townsend Prize for Fiction\n* Edda L. Fields-Black\, professor of history and director of the Dietrich College Humanities Center at Carnegie Mellon University\, author of Combee: Harriet Tubman\, the Combahee River Raid\, and Black Freedom during the Civil War\n* Katherine Freeman: National Park Service Ranger with the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park\n* Jake Zadik: Brays Island naturalist\, nature photographer\, and cofounder of South Carolina Partners of Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (SCPARC)\n* Juliana Zadik: naturalist\, educator\, and Beaufort County Long-Range Environmental Planner\n* Dana Ridenour: retired FBI undercover special agent\, author of the Lexie Montgomery series\n* Eugene A. Rugala: retired FBI agent and “profiler\,” behavioral science consultant and author\n* DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization \nThis year\, March Forth is hosted by Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt and nationally recognized youth advocate Julia Garnett. \nMarch Forth is presented in collaboration between the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center\, Penn Center\, NeverMore Books\, the Port Royal Farmers Market\, the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park\, and DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization. \nRegister in advance: https://marchforth2025.eventbrite.com \n~EVENTS for SATURDAY\, MARCH 1~ \n9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.: Reconstruction Era National Historic Park Tours\nExplore the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park locations in Beaufort\, Port Royal\, and St. Helena. Free. Details: https://www.nps.gov/reer/index.htm \n9:30 a.m. to Noon: Read with a Ranger and Teddy Bear Picnic at the Port Royal Farmers Market\nStudent volunteers from DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization) will be reading children’s picture books to young readers and their families\, with light snacks provided. DAYLO students will be joined by National Park Service Ranger Katherine Freeman from the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park for a special read-aloud\, Read with a Ranger. This free event will be held near the gazebo at the Port Royal Farmers Market (1615 Ribaut Rd\, Port Royal). No registration needed. \n10:00 a.m. to Noon: Demythologizing the FBI: What Writers Get Wrong\, Workshop Led by Dana Ridenour and Eugene A. Rugala\nJoin retired FBI undercover special agent turned novelist Dana Ridenour and retired FBI “profiler” turned consultant Eugene A. Rugala for a workshop for writers (and interested readers) about what FBI work is really like–and what novels and films get wrong. $60/person\, limited to 20 attendees. Held at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort). Register in advance at https://demythologizingthefbiworkshop.eventbrite.com \n10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Penn Center’s York W. Bailey Museum Tours\nExplore Penn Center and the York W. Bailey Museum (16 Penn Center Circle West\, St. Helena Island). Docent-led tours available. $15-$20/person. \nNoon to 4:00 p.m.: Pat Conroy Literary Center Tours\nThe nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort) is open for free public tours\, guided by volunteer docents. \n6:00 to 7:00 p.m.: Facebook Live Interview with Ashley Hope Pérez\, Editor of Banned Together\, in Conversation with Jonathan Haupt and Julia Garnett\nAshley Hope Pérez’s 2015 YA novel Out of Darkness won a Printz Honor and the Tomás Rivera Book Award—and it as one of the top ten most banned books of 2021. Pérez will discuss her new anthology Banned Together: The Fight for Reader’s Rights (to be published on March 4) in conversation with Pat Conroy Literary Center executive director Jonathan Haupt and Banned Books Week Honorary Youth Chair Julia Garnett. This free virtual event will be live-streamed to the Conroy Center’s Fcebook page and available to watch through Monday\, March 3\, at 6:00 p.m. No registration required. https://www.facebook.com/patconroyliterarycenter \n~EVENTS for SUNDAY\, MARCH 2~\nAll Sunday events are ticketed and held at Penn Center’s Frissell Hall\, 16 Penn Center Circle West\, St. Helena Island. Nature walk: $10/person. Catered lunch + two author presentations: $30. \n9:30-10:00 a.m.: Attendee check-in. \n10:00-11:30 a.m.: Birding and nature walk of Penn Center led by husband and wife naturalists Jake and Juliana Zadik. Approximately 1 mile. $10/person; limited to 40 participants. \n11:30 to Noon. Catered lunch by Magnolia’s Cafe. Included in $30/person registration. \nNoon to 1:00 p.m.: Presentation by Dr. Edda L. Fields-Black\, professor of history and director of the Dietrich College Humanities Center at Carnegie Mellon University\, author of Combee: Harriet Tubman\, the Combahee River Raid\, and Black Freedom during the Civil War. . . Included in $30/person registration. \n1:00 to 1:30 p.m.: Book signing break with NeverMore Books. \n1:30 to 2:30 p.m.: Conversation with Kimberly Brock: novelist\, past Georgia Author of the Year\, and author of The Fabled Earth\, a finalist for the Townsend Prize for Fiction–interviewed by Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt and Banned Books Week Honorary Youth Chair Julia Garnett. Included in $30/person registration. \n2:30-3:00 p.m.: Book signing break with NeverMore Books. \n3:00 p.m.: Closing remarks \n~ABOUT OUR PRESENTERS~ \n{Coming Soon}
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/ninth-annual-march-forth-weekend/
LOCATION:Beaufort\, South Carolina\, Beaufort\, SC\, US
CATEGORIES:Other
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250301T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250301T120000
DTSTAMP:20260507T081111
CREATED:20260427T134531Z
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SUMMARY:Demythologizing the FBI: Writers Workshop Led by Dana Ridenour and Eugene A. Rugala
DESCRIPTION:Demythologizing the FBI: What Writers Get Wrong\nLed by Dana Ridenour and Eugene A. Rugala \nJoin retired FBI undercover special agent Dana Ridenour and a retired FBI agent and profiler Eugene A. Rugala in this workshop for writers (and interested readers) as they dispel the myths and clichés perpetrated by television and movies regarding the FBI. Writers will learn how to avoid the common pitfalls of writing FBI characters. The discussion will give writers a peak into the daily life of an FBI agent focusing on the FBI undercover program\, and the role of the FBI plays in terrorism and human trafficking investigations. The presentation will also explore the myths and realities of what the Behavioral Analysis Unit does and doesn’t do\, what is and what is not behavioral “profiling\,” what types of cases utilize this technique\, and what members of the BAU do on a daily basis. Participants will gain a better understanding of how to accurately portray FBI characters and investigations.\nTime permitting\, some participants may also be able to read brief excerpts from drafts for feedback from the instructors. \nThis is an in-person writers workshop\, held at the Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.). Limited to 20 participants with advance registration required: $60/person. \nRegister at https://demythologizingthefbiworkshop.eventbrite.com \nAbout our instructors\nDana Ridenour is the award-winning author of the Lexie Montgomery FBI Series: Behind the Mask\, Beyond the Cabin\, and Below the Radar. She is a retired FBI special agent who spent most of her career as an undercover operative. Dana entered on duty with the FBI in November of 1995 and retired in April of 2016 after over twenty years of service. She was assigned to four different FBI Field Divisions and had the opportunity to work a wide variety of cases\, to include multi-faceted narcotics investigations\, domestic sex trafficking of minors\, and violent crime. Over the years\, Dana was a proud member of the FBI’s Evidence Response Team where she and her team traveled to New York City in response to the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. The highlight of her career came in 2003 when she attended and passed the FBI’s prestigious undercover school\, thus allowing her to work as an undercover FBI agent. This undercover certification opened the door for her to work a series of long term\, deep cover cases focusing on domestic terrorism. Dana had the rare experience of working a long-term undercover investigation with her husband who was also an FBI agent. She now lives\, writes\, and teaches in the South Carolina lowcountry\, where she also volunteers at the Pat Conroy Literary Center. \nEugene A. Rugala is principal of Eugene A. Rugala and Associates LLC\, a behavioral science\, consultation\, training\, and research firm based in Beaufort. One of the FBI’s “Profilers” in the unit made famous by the book and movie “The Silence of the Lambs”and the series “Criminal Minds” and “Mindhunter\,” Gene specializes in the detailed behavioral analysis of violent crimes\, including homicide\, sexual assault\, intimate partner violence\, stalking\, and workplace and school violence. He consults with many corporations and universities in developing and implementing procedures and protocols for the prevention of violence in the workplace and in schools to include threat assessment and management services. He is also a national advisory board member of the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence\, a group of Fortune 500 companies who raise awareness and suggest strategies for companies to deal with intimate partner violence and its impact. Gene has contributed to the content and participated in the video production of Shots Fired: Guidance for Surviving an Active Shooter Situation\, Flashpoint: Recognizing and Preventing Violence in the Workplace\, and Silent Storm: Intimate Partner Violence and Stalking and Its Impact on the Workplace. A version of these programs has been developed for university settings as well. Gene is a coauthor of the book Workplace Violence: Issues in Threat Management.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/demythologizing-the-fbi-writers-workshop-led-by-dana-ridenour-and-eugene-a-rugala/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250308T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250308T120000
DTSTAMP:20260507T081111
CREATED:20260427T134531Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T114523Z
UID:10001426-1741428000-1741435200@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:Writing Believable Law Enforcement Characters: A Workshop Led by Dana Ridenour & Eugene A. Rugala
DESCRIPTION:Writing Believable Law Enforcement Characters\nA Workshop for Writers Led by Dana Ridenour and Eugene A. Rugala \nLaw enforcement personnel are an integral part of crime fiction. Their roles range from those enforcing the law at street level up to the upper echelons of command. In this workshop retired FBI undercover special agent Dana Ridenour and a retired FBI agent and profiler Eugene A. Rugala will discuss the psychological toll of being a law enforcement officer\, how to write realistic law enforcement characters and crime scenes\, writing about firearms\, understanding jurisdiction\, writing realistic fight scenes\, and turning your real-life experiences into fiction. The instructors will also delve into opportunities for research and their own experiences with research—one as a novelist and the other as a consultant for books\, film\, and television. \nTime permitting\, some participants may also be able to read brief excerpts from drafts for feedback from the instructors. \nThis is an in-person writers workshop\, held at the Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.). Limited to 20 participants with advance registration required: $60/person. \nRegister at: https://writinglawenforcement.eventbrite.com \nAbout our instructors \nDana Ridenour is the award-winning author of the Lexie Montgomery FBI Series: Behind the Mask\, Beyond the Cabin\, and Below the Radar. She is a retired FBI special agent who spent most of her career as an undercover operative. Dana entered on duty with the FBI in November of 1995 and retired in April of 2016 after over twenty years of service. She was assigned to four different FBI Field Divisions and had the opportunity to work a wide variety of cases\, to include multi-faceted narcotics investigations\, domestic sex trafficking of minors\, and violent crime. Over the years\, Dana was a proud member of the FBI’s Evidence Response Team where she and her team traveled to New York City in response to the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. The highlight of her career came in 2003 when she attended and passed the FBI’s prestigious undercover school\, thus allowing her to work as an undercover FBI agent. This undercover certification opened the door for her to work a series of long term\, deep cover cases focusing on domestic terrorism. Dana had the rare experience of working a long-term undercover investigation with her husband who was also an FBI agent. She now lives\, writes\, and teaches in the South Carolina lowcountry\, where she also volunteers at the Pat Conroy Literary Center. \nEugene A. Rugala is principal of Eugene A. Rugala and Associates LLC\, a behavioral science\, consultation\, training\, and research firm based in Beaufort. One of the FBI’s “Profilers” in the unit made famous by the book and movie “The Silence of the Lambs”and the series “Criminal Minds” and “Mindhunter\,” Gene specializes in the detailed behavioral analysis of violent crimes\, including homicide\, sexual assault\, intimate partner violence\, stalking\, and workplace and school violence. He consults with many corporations and universities in developing and implementing procedures and protocols for the prevention of violence in the workplace and in schools to include threat assessment and management services. He is also a national advisory board member of the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence\, a group of Fortune 500 companies who raise awareness and suggest strategies for companies to deal with intimate partner violence and its impact. Gene has contributed to the content and participated in the video production of Shots Fired: Guidance for Surviving an Active Shooter Situation\, Flashpoint: Recognizing and Preventing Violence in the Workplace\, and Silent Storm: Intimate Partner Violence and Stalking and Its Impact on the Workplace. A version of these programs has been developed for university settings as well. Gene is a coauthor of the book Workplace Violence: Issues in Threat Management.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/writing-believable-law-enforcement-characters-a-workshop-led-by-dana-ridenour-eugene-a-rugala/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250313T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250313T193000
DTSTAMP:20260507T081111
CREATED:20260427T134531Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T114523Z
UID:10001425-1741888800-1741894200@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:Virtual Open Mic Night -- Featuring Susan Tekulve\, Author of Bodies of Light
DESCRIPTION:The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be presented as a virtual event\, live-streamed to our Facebook page\, on Thursday\, March 13\, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured presenter is multi-genre author Susan Tekulve\, whose newest book is Bodies of Light\, her first full-length poetry collection. Hosted by poet Melissa Whiteford St. Clair\, Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres. \nInterested in reading as part of virtual Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org. \nAbout Our Featured Author:\nSusan Tekulve’s newest book Bodies of Light is her first full-length poetry collection. She is the author of Second Shift: Essays (Del Sol Press) and In the Garden of Stone (Hub City Press)\, winner of the South Carolina Novel Prize and a Gold IPPY Award. She’s also published two short story collections: Savage Pilgrims (Serving House Books) and My Mother’s War Stories (Winnow Press). Her photo essay\, “White Blossoms\,” appeared in Issue 12 of the KYSO Flash Anthology. Her nonfiction\, fiction\, and poetry has appeared in journals such as Denver Quarterly\, The Georgia Review\, The Louisville Review\, Puerto del Sol\, New Letters\, and Shenandoah. Her web chapbook\, Wash Day\, appears in the Web Del Sol International Chapbook Series\, and her story collection\, My Mother’s War Stories\, received the 2004 Winnow Press fiction prize. She has received scholarships from the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. She teaches in the BFA and MFA writing programs at Converse University. \n“Susan Tekulve’s Bodies of Light both illuminates and enchants. In odes to body parts—teeth and thumbs\, feet and hair—as well as bodies inside bodies (pregnancies)\, this poet delights in the corporal and spiritual. In elegies\, Tekulve honors the bodies of her beloved dead and the magic of her garden. Hummingbirds\, tarantulas\, stinkbugs\, spiders\, and bees wearing ‘tiny yellow combat boots’ populate these terrific poems of wonder and dazzle.”–Denise Duhamel\, author of Pink Lady\, Scald\, and Blowout  \n“It’s a kind of magic\, the way Susan Tekulve’s forthright monosyllabic titles (Bonnet\, Grief\, Kimono\, Son—the list goes on) blossom into poems so lush in vision\, so voluptuous in vocabulary and song\, they feel as bountiful as the planet we live on. Tekulve’s poems have their specific concerns of course (parenting\, for example\, and world travel) but ultimately she’s in love with existence itself\, whether elegiac or celebratory\, and her one-word titles (Relics\, Geodes\, Feathers: the list goes on) are keys to a lavish proof of that love’s great depth.”–Albert Goldbarth\, author of History (and Pre-)\, Saving Lives\, and Heaven and Earth: A Cosmology
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/virtual-open-mic-night-featuring-susan-tekulve-author-of-bodies-of-light/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250320T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250320T183000
DTSTAMP:20260507T081111
CREATED:20260427T134531Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T114523Z
UID:10001424-1742490000-1742495400@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:An Evening with Novelists Dawn Major and Kim Poovey
DESCRIPTION:The Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with authors Dawn Major and Kim Poovey portraying characters from their respective novels\, introduced by host Mary Ellen Thompson. Free and open to the public\, this special event will be held at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) on March 20 at 5:00 p.m. Books will be available for sale and signing. Please call in advance to reserve a seat: 843-379-7025.  \nDawn Major is an associate editor for the Southern Literary Review. Her debut novel\, The Bystanders\, was named finalist for 2024 Georgia Author of the Year for Best First Novel. Set in the 1980s\, The Bystanders is the story of a family who moves from California to a small town in Missouri\, where\, to put it mildly\, they didn’t fit in. Dawn will converse from the point of view of her teenaged character\, Shannon Lamb\, who is the source of much gossip from the townspeople.  \nKim Poovey is a storyteller\, Victorian reenactress\, and has written nine novels. The first of her Dreamist Series\, The Haunting of Monroe Manse\, centers on Sarah Holden\, a smalltown antiques dealer who is “plagued by haunted dreams and gruesome visions.” As Sarah’s visions increase in intensity\, the reader is taken on a chilling page turning journey of the otherworldly. Kim will portray Sarah in the conversation.  \nAbout the Authors\nDawn Major’s debut novel\, The Bystanders\, was named finalist for 2024 Georgia Author of the Year for Best First Novel. Major has a graduate degree in Creative Writing\, is associate editor at Southern Literary Review\, and a co-editor at WELL READ Magazine where she writes a column called “TripLit with D. Major.” She enjoys advocating for Southern writers and artists on her blog\, SouthernRead. Major’s literary awards include the following: the Dr. Robert Driscoll Award for Excellence in Writing Award and a James Dickey Fellowship. She is a member of the William Gay Archive and helps edit and publish the late author’s works. She serves on the board at Broadleaf Writers Association\, is a member of multiple writing association\, as well as a member of M’ville\, an Atlanta-based artist salon. She has been published in multiple journals\, reviews\, and anthologies. Major lives in Atlanta\, GA with her family and is currently working on her novelette\, The Dandy Chronicles.  \nKim Poovey is a bestselling author of cozy horror and historical fiction. She has traveled the Southeast for more than 20 years presenting on 19th century fashion\, Victorian era mourning practices\, Ornamental Hairwork\, and the history of ghost stories. In 2011 she portrayed Mrs. Stanton\, wife of Secretary of War Stanton (Kevin Kline)\, in the Robert Redford film\, The Conspirator. Additional film projects include portraying the wife of a villainous husband in the Vook version of Jude Devereaux’ novella Promises and the documentary Beyond the Oaks\, Lowcountry Plantations. Kim has published nine books to include four in the Dreamist series and two in the Shadows trilogy. In addition\, Kim has written for several magazines to include Beaufort Lifestyles\, Bluffton Breeze\, Citizen’s Companion\, and the Civil War Times.bWhen not writing or performing\, Kim works as a school psychologist. She lives in a haunted 1890s Victorian cottage in the South Carolina Lowcountry with her husband\, Darryl\, and their furry children. \nMary Ellen Thompson is an associate editor for the Southern Literary Review. Her interview with the legendary Pat Conroy was published in A Lowcountry Heart. A lead features writer for Beaufort Lifestyle Magazine for eight years\, and columnist for Lowcountry Weekly for ten years\, she has also written for Pooler Magazine\, Effingham Magazine\, Carolina Arts Magazine\, St. Mary’s Magazine and Eat\, Sleep\, Play Beaufort. Mary Ellen has very happy feet and loves to travel. Raised on the Main Line of Philadelphia and the Eastern Shore of MD\, she has a B.S. From Skidmore College in Business. Currently living on Saint Helena Island\, SC\, she hosts a Writer’s Residency for the Pat Conroy Literary Center\, and is writing a retrospective narrative.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/an-evening-with-novelists-dawn-major-and-kim-poovey/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250322T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250322T183000
DTSTAMP:20260507T081111
CREATED:20260427T134531Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T114523Z
UID:10001423-1742661000-1742668200@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:Silent Book Club Beaufort
DESCRIPTION:Silent Book Club Beaufort\, a unique take on the traditional book club\, will hold its next meetup on Saturday\, March 22\, from 4:30 to 6:30pm at the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.). A relaxed and pressure-free space for readers of all types\, this community gathering invites book lovers to enjoy their current reads in a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is co-sponsored by the Conroy Center and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization)\, bringing together two organizations dedicated to fostering community connections and celebrating the love of literature. \nUnlike traditional book clubs\, Silent Book Club Beaufort has no assigned reading\, no deadlines\, and no discussions required. Whether you prefer ebooks\, audiobooks\, comic books\, textbooks\, or paperbacks\, readers are invited to bring their book of choice\, settle in\, and savor the joy of uninterrupted reading among like-minded individuals. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort also features a book swap: Leave a book\, take a book.  \nThe casual meetups provide an excellent opportunity to discover new book recommendations\, make friends\, and reconnect with the love of reading. Whether you’re a lifelong bookworm or just getting back into reading\, everyone is welcome.  \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is free to attend and proudly supports local businesses and organizations. Additional dates and locations will be announced soon via the SBCB Instagram page at www.instagram.com/silentbookclubbeaufort.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/silent-book-club-beaufort-12/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250325T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250325T183000
DTSTAMP:20260507T081111
CREATED:20260427T134531Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T114523Z
UID:10001422-1742922000-1742927400@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:An Evening with Penelope Coker Hall and Eliza Wilson Ingle\, Authors of A Curious Heart
DESCRIPTION:The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with Penelope Coker Hall and Eliza Wilson Ingle\, Authors of A Curious Heart: The Life and Letters of Elizabeth Boatwright Coker\, on Tuesday\, March 25\, at 5:00 p.m.\, at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort). Free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing. Seating is limited; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025. \nAbout the Book and Authors\nWritten by Elizabeth Boatwright Coker’s daughter\, Penelope Coker Hall\, and granddaughter\, Eliza Wilson Ingle\, A Curious Heart chronicles the life and work of the award-winning author. \nIn this poignant literary biography\, Hall and Ingle give readers a front row seat to the remarkable life and career of award-winning author Elizabeth Boatwright Coker (1909-1993). Drawing liberally from Elizabeth’s own letters\, journal entries\, book passages and interviews\, A Curious Heart reveals for the first time the inner life of this complex\, Southern woman who dreamed of becoming a published writer. \nBorn in Darlington\, South Carolina in an era when women could not vote and the legacy of the Civil War suffused nearly everything\, Elizabeth was blessed with movie star beauty\, a keen intellect and sense of humor\, and extraordinary determination. At an early age\, she was mentored by inspired teachers and some of the great writers of the 20th century. She would go on to challenge the status quo\, in her life and her books. \nElizabeth’s journey juggling the demands of corporate wife and mother with that of working writer is a story of trial and triumph\, heartbreak and joy. Her life spanned nearly the entire century\, the second half of which yielded nine historical novels. With sensitivity and insight\, the authors chronicle the passion\, the powers of observation\, the gift of storytelling\, and the fierce independence that propelled their mother and grandmother to The New York Times bestseller list and the South Carolina Hall of Fame. \nBorn in Hartsville\, South Carolina\, Penelope Coker Hall matriculated to Sarah Lawrence College and eventually settled in New York\, becoming a writer and host for Metromedia’s Channel Five TV show “The New Yorkers.” Later at NBC\, Hall worked as a co-producer of several TV specials\, including “Vanishing 400” and “Debutante.” During this time\, she met and married film producer William Wilson and in 1968 their daughter\, Eliza\, was born. In 1972\, Hall left the performing arts and embarked on a new marriage with widower Mortimer Hall of Millbrook\, N.Y. Ensconced in Millbrook for 50 years\, Hall served as editor of Dutchess Magazine while raising daughter Eliza as well as Morti’s five young children\, along with a bevy of horses and dogs. Hall is author of several children’s books and the novel Riding High (under the pseudonym of Emily Brooks)\, written with former E.P. Dutton editor Ann LaFarge. Today\, she divides her time between Charleston\, S.C. and Millbrook. \nEliza Wilson Ingle is a New York native with Southern roots. She earned her BA in Dance from Middlebury College\, and after a brief stint in New York City\, moved to Charleston S.C. where she became a Professor of Dance at the College of Charleston. In addition to teaching\, Ingle has been a performer and choreographer with Anonymity Dance Company. A dance reviewer for The Post and Courier covering Spoleto Festival USA\, as well as a contributor to Charleston Magazine and Charleston City Paper\, and creator and co-host of “Just Imagine” – a radio program covering local cultural events and people – she stays tapped into the arts and believes\, as her grandmother did\, in the power of story.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/an-evening-with-penelope-coker-hall-and-eliza-wilson-ingle-authors-of-a-curious-heart-2/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250328T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250328T153000
DTSTAMP:20260507T081111
CREATED:20260427T134531Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T114523Z
UID:10001421-1743170400-1743175800@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:An Afternoon with Novelists Jeffrey Blount and John Pruitt
DESCRIPTION:The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an afternoon with novelists Jeffrey Blount (Mr. Jimmy from Around the Way) and John Pruitt (Tell It True)\, in conversation with Rebecca Dwight Bruff (Trouble the Water) on Friday\, March 28\, at 2:00 p.m. Free and open to the public\, this special event is presented in partnership with Luxe Lowcountry Travel and will be held at Penn Center’s Frissell Hall\, 16 Penn Center West\, St. Helena Island. Books by all three authors will be available for sale and signing.  \nAdvance registration is required by March 27 at: https://blountandpruitt.eventbrite.com \nAbout Jeffrey Blount and Mr. Jimmy from Around the Way \nJeffrey Blount is the award-winning author of three novels. He is also an Emmy award-winning television director and a 2016 inductee to the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame. During a 34-year career at NBC News\, Jeffrey directed a decade of Meet the Press and was the first African-American to direct the Today show. He is an award-winning documentary scriptwriter for films and interactives that are now on display in the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture. \nMr. Jimmy from Around the Way is a story about failure\, self-discovery\, empowerment\, and the possibility of redemption. James Henry Ferguson doesn’t belong here. After a highly publicized fall from grace\, James attempts to flee from the chaos in his life. He ends up in a community he had never heard of before\, one that has been neglected and ignored by everyone in rural Ham\, Mississippi. A place of abject poverty\, the neighborhood is commonly referred to as “Around the Way.” Within a place forgotten by the rest of the world\, politics can be a dangerous game. When a troubling discovery is made\, the entire neighborhood is rocked to its core and James is forced to confront his own past in order to help the community have a future. He will have to find the strength to fight for the neighbors he once disregarded and avert a heart-breaking disaster. A self-identified failure is forced to uncover the wisdom of his past in order to recognize that money can’t solve every problem. Full of never-ending twists and turns\, no one can prepare themselves for the surprises in store. Winner of the 2024 National Indie Excellence Award for African American Fiction\, 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Awards for African American Fiction\, 2024 NYC Big Book Award for General Fiction\, and 2024 American Book Fest Best Book Award for African American Fiction. \n“This tender story is for any of us who have fallen and found the only way up is by reaching out a hand to others.”—Cassandra King\, author of Tell Me a Story: My Life with Pat Conroy  \nAbout John Pruitt and Tell It True \nJohn Pruitt began his journalism career in 1964 as a television reporter-cameraman and eventually rose to top anchor at WSB-TV in Atlanta\, Georgia. For a half-century he covered the civil rights movement\, Georgia politics\, and the major news figures of the day. His reporting has been honored with multiple awards including induction into the Atlanta Press Club and Georgia Association of Broadcasters Halls of Fame. \nIn Tell It True\, An African American serviceman is gunned down on a rural Georgia road in July 1964. This shocking murder ensnares a wide range of characters including the journalists who cover it\, the lawmen who must solve it\, the civil rights leaders who capitalize upon it\, the politicians who exploit it\, and the Atlanta magnate who fears its impact on the New South image he desperately wants to protect. TV news cameraman Gil Matthews and AP reporter Mindy Williams team up to follow the twists and turns of the murder investigation as rural\, state\, and federal lawmen clash\, a civil rights leader fends off a black power challenger\, and voters take sides in a governor’s race pitting virulent racist Roscoe Pike against moderate underdog Harrison Parker. Focusing on the challenges faced by journalists as they covered a societal revolution and brought the dramatic and sometimes violent scenes to TV screens around the world\, Tell It True takes us to a time when the future of the South hung in the balance. \n“Pruitt takes us back to a time where black lives truly didn’t matter in the South\, but it was a time black votes began to matter. The characters in this novel tell the story of the media’s role in changing race relations in the South\, and the behind-the-scenes political alliances that helped to bring change. Pruitt’s meticulous character development and scenery depiction put me right there in the story. Gripping from beginning to end and hard to put down.”—Monica Kaufman Pearson\, journalist and former news anchor \nAbout Rebecca Dwight Bruff\nRebecca Bruff is the author of the award-winning historical novel Trouble the Water and the children’s book Stars of Wonder. Bruff earned her bachelor’s degree in education at Texas A&M and a master’s and doctorate in theology at Southern Methodist University. In 2017\, she was a scholarship recipient for the prestigious Key West Literary Seminar. A frequent presenter at literary events\, she volunteers at the Pat Conroy Literary Center.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/an-afternoon-with-novelists-jeffrey-blount-and-john-pruitt-2/
LOCATION:Penn Center Cir W\, St Helena\, SC 29920\, United States
CATEGORIES:Other
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