Pat Conroy Literary Center

Teddy Bear Picnic Read Aloud with Daylo October 2024
2024-10-05 09:30 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Port Royal Farmers Market, 1615 Ribault Rd, Port Royal, SC, 29935, United States
Saturday October 5, 2024 – 9:30 a.m. to noon EDT
Price: Free
Venue: Port Royal Farmers Market | Ribaut Rd & Pinckney Blvd, Port Royal, SC 29935
Website: Facebook Event Page
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.
Cozy 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.
DAYLO 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.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

October 2024 Open Mic Night
2024-10-10 18:00 - 19:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be held at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) on Thursday, October 10, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured writer is Columbia City Poet Laureate Jennifer Bartell Boykin, author of Only Believe, selected for the 2023 Hilary Tham Capital Collection. Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres.
When: Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 6 PM – 7:30 PM EDT
Price: Free · Duration: 1 hr 30 min
Where: Conroy Center (601 Bladen St. Beaufort, SC)
Interested in reading as part of Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org
We want to build our community of writers and an appreciation for the art and talent of new, emerging, and long-time writers. Thank you for supporting this partnership!
Event Facebook Page
About our featured writer:
Poet Laureate of Columbia, South Carolina, and a 2023 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow, Jennifer Bartell Boykin is the author of the poetry collections Traveling Mercy and Only Believe. Her poetry has also appeared in Obsidian, Callaloo, the Raleigh Review, kinfolks: a journal of black expression, the museum of americana: a literary review, and Scalawag.
Bartell Boykin is the recipient of fellowships from Callaloo and The Watering Hole. A school librarian at Muller Road Middle School in Blythewood, SC, she previously taught creative writing and English at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, SC, where she was also named the 2019–20 Teacher of the Year. She has been recognized as an American Library Association Spectrum Scholar and an Augusta Baker Scholar at the University of South Carolina’s School of Information Science, where she earned her master of library and information science degree. Bartell Boykin was born and raised in Bluefield, a Black community in Johnsonville, South Carolina.
About Only Believe
“Bartell’s Only Believe carefully treads through remembering childhood assault confounded with good memories that some would struggle to keep, including memories that elders lose if we’re not quick enough to catch them. These poems are part oral history and part affirmation, but this collection complicates faith and walks readers closer to truth, healing, and forgiveness and standing tall in a grandmother’s house.”–Tara Betts, author of Refuse to Disappear and Break the Habit
“There are two stories in Only Believe–the story of a girl who doesn’t know how or when to tell what happened to her, and the story of her grandma, whose house is a place of both refuge and danger, whose decline into Alzheimer’s is a counterpoint to the speaker’s own struggles with memory. Memory, as Jennifer Bartell reminds us, is neither window nor mirror nor veil, but all at the same time. Religion promises answers—’My Black Jesus can do anything’–but tricks her into blame and shame instead. Something happened to that girl and she knows that ‘it’s time to speak / it’s time to heal.’ The only way to do that is by telling both stories, that of the girl struggling to speak, and that of the grandmother, whose life reminds her that ‘God is a woman / on a big black Singer / sewing machine, whose quilts became her tablets, whose needle becomes her pen.’–Ed Madden, author of A Pooka in Arkansas and Ark

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

Workshop: Writing Family Stories, Led by Estelle Ford-Williamson
2024-10-17 17:00 - 19:00 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Register: patconroyliterarycenter.eventbrite.com
Thursday, October 17, 2024 · 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm EST
Cost: $45
Limited to 15 participants
Venue: Pat Conroy Literary Center | 601 Bladen St Beaufort, SC 29902
If, according to Pat Conroy, the most powerful words in the English language are “Tell Me a Story,” then the most regretful ones are: “I never got Mama’s (or Daddy’s) stories.” Or you may have a fantastic personal story that begs to be told and you’re afraid it won’t happen. This workshop helps you avoid that regret!
We’ll cover:
Tips for Starting and Re-Starting Stories
Finding Structure in Your Many Tales
Several Writing Prompts, Reading, and Feedback Opportunities.
Discussion of Publication Options
Led by an award-winning memoirist and novelist, Estelle Ford-Williamson, this workshop is for those who want to put in writing their cache of family legends or happenings, for the memoir writer, and for those who want to assist their parents or relatives or friends in doing just that. It’s a great time to start your stories for holiday giving!
This interactive writers workshop will be held at the Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort) on Thursday, October 17, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Limited to 15 participants. $45/person. Advance registration required.
Learn more and register at https://patconroyliterarycenter.eventbrite.com
Website: Facebook Event Page
About our instructor:
Estelle Ford-Williamson is a former UPI reporter whose most recent book is Rising Fawn, a novel set in Atlanta and Lookout Mountain, GA. Previously she published Abbeville Farewell, a Novel of Early Atlanta and North Georgia, and co-wrote a memoir, Seed of South Sudan: Memoir of a ‘Lost Boy’ Refugee with Majok Marier.
For four years, she led “Writing Your Story” workshops at a senior center in the Atlanta area; a dozen students went on to publish full memoirs. She has received awards for her novels and short fiction, and offers writing workshops through the Pat Conroy Literary Center and the South Carolina Writers Association. Estelle lives on nearby St. Helena Island.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

An Evening with photographer and writer Pete Candler, author of A Deeper South
2024-10-24 17:00 - 18:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
UPDATE: This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled for early 2025.
Thursday, October 24, 2024 – 5:00-6:30 PM EDT
Price: Free
Registration: Seating is limited; please call to reserve your spot: 843-379-7025.
Venue: Pat Conroy Literary Center | 601 Bladen St., Beaufort
Website: Facebook Event Page
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with photographer and writer Pete Candler, author of A Deeper South, on Thursday, October 24, 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. Please call in advance to reserve a seat for this free event: 843-379-7025.
About A Deeper South
In A Deeper South: The Beauty, Mystery, and Sorrow of the Southern Road, Pete Candler offers a travel narrative drawn from twenty-five years of road-tripping through the backroads of the American South. Featuring Candler’s own photography, the book taps into the public imagination and the process of both remembering and forgetting that define our collective memory of place. Candler, who belongs to one of Georgia’s most recognizable families, confronts the uncomfortable truths of his own ancestors’ roles in the South’s legacy of white supremacy with a masterful mix of authority and a humbling sense that his own journey of unforgetting and recovering has only just begun.
“A beautifully crafted journey through the past and current South that will interest Southerners and readers curious about the region and its history.”―Library Journal
“A righteous plumbing of suppressed family histories, a vigorous exorcism of the myths and willful ignorance that trouble the land of his birth, A Deeper South blazes a path through the nostalgia thicket for readers who want to make sense of their inheritances. Candler writes with indignation and empathy, showing us a better way to see the South so that we can better love any place we call home.”―John T. Edge, author of The Potlikker Papers and host of TrueSouth
“Part history, part memoir, and part self-discovery, Candler calls on us to face the demons of our past so that we can truly appreciate the region we call home.”―Karen L. Cox, author of Dreaming of Dixie: How the South Was Created in American Popular Culture
About the Author
Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Pete Candler is a writer, photographer, and filmmaker whose work has appeared in Los Angeles Review of Books, Bitter Southerner, Washington Post, and elsewhere. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

Book Launch Drop In: Joy Corley author of Percy Goes Camping... Maybe
2024-10-26 14:00 - 16:00 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Saturday, October 26, 2024 – 2:00-4:00 PM EDT
Price: Free
Venue: Pat Conroy Literary Center | 601 Bladen St., Beaufort
Website: Facebook Event Page
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host a free public drop-in launch event for local author Joy Corley’s debut children’s book, Percy Goes Camping… Maybe. Join us outside on Saturday, October 26, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) in downtown Beaufort. No advance registration required. Books will be available for sale and signing. Light refreshments will be provided.
About Percy Goes Camping… Maybe
Percy Goes Camping… Maybe is a true story about overcoming your fears. Percy is an 80-pound, fun loving, Red Nose Staffordshire Terrier who is afraid of most anything new, and the teardrop camper Ladybug was no exception!
Always curious, Percy was the first one to bolt out the door when the camper appeared in the driveway and he was the first one to whip around and quickly head back inside, seeking safety from this strange contraption. Being ever-so-nosy, he eventually and very cautiously began to get acquainted with Ladybug, but only after running away and hiding in the bushes multiple times before deciding this camping business might not be so scary after all.
“In this clever, relatable, and heartwarming story, Percy the dog shows us how overcoming our fears can open up a world of fun! I recommend this beautifully illustrated story to little ones ages 4 to 8 as well as their big people.”—Susan Sullivan, author of Bob Tales, Land of the Woody Warbles
“PERCY! Where have you been all my life, sweet boy? You make me want to go camping with you and try new things! | hope every child gets to read your story and be inspired to try something new. Go Percy GOOOOO!”—Bren McClain, author of One Good Mama Bone
About the Author
Joy Corley, earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of South Carolina. She worked in many different capacities in the field of social work until retiring in 2021, after 24 years as a Care Coordinator at Beaufort Memorial Hospital.
Joy became a lover of children’s books after her son Clay was born in 1982. She always wanted to write a children’s book and was just looking for the right inspiration whenever Percy came into her life. Always an animal lover, Percy became the new character in a long list of characters in the household she shares with her husband, Rick and five other rescues. Joy also enjoys reading, being a volunteer with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Sea Turtle Program and Beaufort County Animal Services.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

2024 Festival Day One
2024-11-01
Ninth Annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival, November 1-2, 2024
“I was born to be in a library,” wrote beloved and bestselling author Pat Conroy (1945-2016) in his book My Reading Life. Hosted by the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, this year’s Pat Conroy Literary Festival will pay special tribute to the vital work of librarians in championing the welcoming world of books, stories, and storytellers. The Conroy Festival will be held in Beaufort on November 1 and 2, with the Conroy Center also open to the public for tours on October 31 and November 3.
Now in its ninth year, the Conroy Festival is a popular destination event with literary tourists visiting from across the country as well as for local readers, writers, educators, and students of all ages. With a robust schedule of free and ticketed educational and enrichment programs, this year’s festival will include author conversations and readings, panel discussions, writers workshops, book signings, musical performances, guided tours, a film screening, and a read-aloud for children and their families.
Featured presenters include New York Times bestselling authors Kwame Alexander (Black Star), Kirsten Miller (Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books), Raj Haldar (This Book Is Banned), and Cassandra King (Tell Me a Story), as well as Reese’s Book Club author DéLana R.A. Dameron (Redwood Court). A lively panel discussion with Southern women mystery authors will include Agatha Award-winning and USA Today bestselling novelist Susan M. Boyer (The Liz Talbot Mysteries), Alicia Bessette (The Outer Banks Bookshop Mysteries), and Kristen Ness (At Loggerheads), with a special appearance by Gallery Books vice president and executive editor Carrie Feron.
High school and college student volunteers from DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization will host a read-aloud for young readers and their families at the Port Royal Farmers Market. A Freedom to Read panel discussion, moderated by intellectual freedom champion Pat R. Scales, will feature youth advocates and librarian advocates who have been instrumental in local, regional, and national responses to education censorship. The festival will also include a private pre-screening (open to festival attendees with advance registration) of the new feature-length documentary film Banned Together, prefaced by a tribute to librarians and followed by a discussion with producers Tom and Jenn Wiggin. A celebratory musical performance by the famed Beaufort Mass Choir and a reception catered by Debbi Covington at the Conroy Center will conclude this year’s festival.
To the benefit of writers, the Conroy Festival will also host a quartet of workshops on poetry, prose writing, and publication, led by Tim Conroy, Susan Madison, Valerie Sayers, Sean Scapellato, John Warley, and Chad Rhoad.
The ninth annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival is made possible by the generous support and collaboration of the Robert S. Handler Charitable Trust, the South Carolina Arts Commission, Bank of America Private Bank, and others.
November 1 Schedule (click for more information on the Festival website)
9:00 am WORKSHOP: Poetry of Practice, led by Tim Conroy and Susan Madison @ Pat Conroy Literary Center-$45
11:00 am AUTHOR EVENT: DéLana R.A. Dameron @ USC Beaufort Center for the Arts – $10
12:30 pm WORKSHOP: How to Submit to Literary Magazine, led by Valerie Sayers @ Pat Conroy Literary Center – $45
4:00 pm FREEDOM TO READ PANEL: Moderated by Pat R. Scales @ USC Beaufort Center for the Arts – Free
6:30 pm TRIBUTE TO LIBRARIANS and FILM SCREENING: Presented by Jonathan Haupt @ USC Beaufort Center for the Arts – Free
Festival Website Links:
Events Schedule
Workshops
Festival Facebook Page (where you can watch many author events)
Presenters
The nonprofit Conroy Center is open to the public Thursday through Sunday, noon to 4:00 p.m. at 601 Bladen Street in historic downtown Beaufort.

2024 Festival Day Two
2024-11-02
Ninth Annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival, November 1-2, 2024
“I was born to be in a library,” wrote beloved and bestselling author Pat Conroy (1945-2016) in his book My Reading Life. Hosted by the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, this year’s Pat Conroy Literary Festival will pay special tribute to the vital work of librarians in championing the welcoming world of books, stories, and storytellers. The Conroy Festival will be held in Beaufort on November 1 and 2, with the Conroy Center also open to the public for tours on October 31 and November 3.
Now in its ninth year, the Conroy Festival is a popular destination event with literary tourists visiting from across the country as well as for local readers, writers, educators, and students of all ages. With a robust schedule of free and ticketed educational and enrichment programs, this year’s festival will include author conversations and readings, panel discussions, writers workshops, book signings, musical performances, guided tours, a film screening, and a read-aloud for children and their families.
Featured presenters include New York Times bestselling authors Kwame Alexander (Black Star), Kirsten Miller (Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books), Raj Haldar (This Book Is Banned), and Cassandra King (Tell Me a Story), as well as Reese’s Book Club author DéLana R.A. Dameron (Redwood Court). A lively panel discussion with Southern women mystery authors will include Agatha Award-winning and USA Today bestselling novelist Susan M. Boyer (The Liz Talbot Mysteries), Alicia Bessette (The Outer Banks Bookshop Mysteries), and Kristen Ness (At Loggerheads), with a special appearance by Gallery Books vice president and executive editor Carrie Feron.
High school and college student volunteers from DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization will host a read-aloud for young readers and their families at the Port Royal Farmers Market. A Freedom to Read panel discussion, moderated by intellectual freedom champion Pat R. Scales, will feature youth advocates and librarian advocates who have been instrumental in local, regional, and national responses to education censorship. The festival will also include a private pre-screening (open to festival attendees with advance registration) of the new feature-length documentary film Banned Together, prefaced by a tribute to librarians and followed by a discussion with producers Tom and Jenn Wiggin. A celebratory musical performance by the famed Beaufort Mass Choir and a reception catered by Debbi Covington at the Conroy Center will conclude this year’s festival.
To the benefit of writers, the Conroy Festival will also host a quartet of workshops on poetry, prose writing, and publication, led by Tim Conroy, Susan Madison, Valerie Sayers, Sean Scapellato, John Warley, and Chad Rhoad.
The ninth annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival is made possible by the generous support and collaboration of the Robert S. Handler Charitable Trust, the South Carolina Arts Commission, Bank of America Private Bank, and others.
November 2 Schedule (click for more information on the Festival website)
9:00 am WORKSHOP: How Not to Get Published, led by John Warley and Sean Scapellato @ Pat Conroy Literary Center – $45
9:30 am READ-ALOUD: DAYLO Teddy Bear Picnic @ Port Royal Farmers Market – Free
11:00 am AUTHOR EVENT: Mysterious Women Panel @ USC Beaufort Center for the Arts – $15
1:00 pm AUTHOR EVENT: Raj Haldar @ USC Beaufort Center for the Arts – Free
1:00 pm WORKSHOP: Know Your Place: Setting as Character, led by Chad Rhoad @ Pat Conroy Literary Center – $45
2:30 pm AUTHOR EVENT: Kwame Alexander @ USC Beaufort Center for the Arts – Free
4:00 pm AUTHOR EVENT: Kirsten Miller @ USC Beaufort Center for the Arts – $10
6:30 pm CLOSING RECEPTION: Wrap Up Party @ Pat Conroy Literary Center – $40
Festival Website Links:
Events Schedule
Workshops
Festival Facebook Page (where you can watch many author events)
Presenters
The nonprofit Conroy Center is open to the public Thursday through Sunday, noon to 4:00 p.m. at 601 Bladen Street in historic downtown Beaufort.

Teddy Bear Picnic Read Aloud with Daylo November 2024
2024-11-02 09:30 - 12:00 | Port Royal Farmers Market, 1615 Ribault Rd, Port Royal, SC, 29935, United States
Saturday November 2, 2024 – 9:30 a.m. to noon EDT
Price: Free
Venue: Port Royal Farmers Market | Ribaut Rd & Pinckney Blvd, Port Royal, SC 29935
Website: Facebook Event Page
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.
Cozy 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.
DAYLO 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.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

November 2024 Open Mic Night
2024-11-14 18:00 - 19:30 | Online – Facebook Live
The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be held virtually on Thursday, November 14, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured writer is poet Mamie Morgan, author of Everyone I’ve Danced with Is Dead. Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres.
When: Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 6 PM – 7:30 PM EDT
Price: Free · Duration: 1 hr 30 min
Where: Facebook Live
Interested in reading as part of Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org
We want to build our community of writers and an appreciation for the art and talent of new, emerging, and long-time writers. Thank you for supporting this partnership!
Event Facebook Page
About our featured writer:
Mamie Morgan received an MFA from UNC Wilmington and a BA in English and Religious Studies from Wofford. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in numerous literary journals, including Washington Square Review, the Oxford American, Fish Barrel Review, Nimrod, Muzzle, Four Way Review, Yemassee, Carolina Quarterly, Inkwell, and the Greensboro Review. She lives in the woods with her husband and their two pit bulls, Henrietta Modine and Wednesday Stewart.

About Everyone I’ve Danced with Is Dead
“Reading these poems is like sitting down with a friend for a conversation-the kind of friend you trust to tell all of the truth, but with mercy. These whip-smart poems don’t flinch, even at the hardest truths about what it means to be human-to love and to lose, to damage and be damaged, to live through moments ‘where the quake originates,’ that make you cling to ‘every word that had ever made me want to stay alive.’ These poems have an electric power, one strong enough to change lives. Morgan faces devastation with such an open grace and generosity that a reader can’t help but feel there’s one truth more real than any other: that even in the moments that shake us to the core, there is always hope.”–Emma Bolden
“The central organ pumping blood through these poems is wonderment. Morgan’s particular brand of wonder knows no hierarchies: love, betrayal, fallings out, quotidian, joy, jail, sex, school, the body, war, race, politics, and that old tricker Death all crowd around the same table. This book pulls you forward and shows you the world as it is–a mess worth celebrating, recoiling from, enduring, and embracing. These poems are built of risk and witness–importantly, they have the language and daring to match. This is one helluva barn burner.”–Michael McGriff

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

An Evening with Nancy Murray, author of No Experience Necessary
2024-11-15 17:00 - 18:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Friday, November 15, 2024 – 5:00-6:30 PM EDT
Price: Free
Registration: Seating is limited; please call to reserve your spot: 843-379-7025.
Venue: Pat Conroy Literary Center | 601 Bladen St., Beaufort
Website: Facebook Event Page
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with memoirist Nancy Murray, author of No Experience Necessary, on Friday, November 15, 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.
About No Experience Necessary
In No Experience Necessary, Nancy Murray shares the insights, pitfalls, and strategies that she gleaned along her journey toward meaningful employment. Her stories prove that even so-called nowhere jobs can be crucial steps to not only establishing a career, but to discovering ourselves.
Nancy’s workplace tales span a colorful spectrum, from selling speakers from a seedy van to driving a posh limo; from performing as a professional clown to financial advisor. With each job she profited in ways beyond a traditional paycheck.
Some might consider this a cautionary tale, but it’s also a field guide for anyone preparing to fill out their first job application, not to mention a humorous flashback for those who recall the trials and tribulations of the workplace all too well.
“Through the many jobs—both ordinary and extraordinary— in this memoir of working, Nancy Murray shows not only how willing she is to take a chance and fail, but to grow from those failures with her trademark blend of humor and humility. What really stands out, however, is her prose—like a long lunch with a good friend, there is never a dull moment.”—Jen Michalski, author of The Company of Strangers
“No Experience Necessary is an extraordinary account of what it means to work. In vivid and engaging prose, the book illuminates the struggles and triumphs of insisting on a creative life. A tightly-focused and engaging memoir, this is an amazing read!” —Kathy Flann,award-winning author of Smoky Ordinary and Write On: Secrets to Crafting Better Stories
About the Author
Nancy Murray is a poet, playwright, and storyteller. Her first memoir, One Child for Another, was published by 11th Hour Press, and was recognized by Baltimore Magazine as one of the Ten Best Reads in 2015. Her storytelling was showcased by the Women of the World Festival in Baltimore, Maryland.
Nancy’s plays and poetry have been produced and published in various venues and presses including, Ireland’s HCE Review, The Maryland State Poetry and Literary Society, and in multiple anthologies. Her most recent publication, a poetry collection called The Colors of Fear, was published by Cyberwit Press. She teaches compositional writing at the Community College of Baltimore County and hosts a series of poetry workshops at the Arts Lab of South County, Maryland.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

An Evening with William “Billy” Douglas, author of Hope Is All I Have
2024-12-04 18:00 - 19:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Wednesday, December 4, 2024 – 6:00-7:30 PM EDT
Price: Free
Registration: Seating is limited; please call to reserve your spot: 843-379-7025.
Venue: Pat Conroy Literary Center | 601 Bladen St., Beaufort
Website: Facebook Event Page
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with memoirist and cancer survivor William “Billy” Douglas, author of Hope Is All I Have, on Wednesday, December 4, at 6:00 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.
About Hope Is All I Have
The three most shocking words you will ever encounter in your lifetime are: You Have Cancer! Once you hear those words, your life will be forever changed. For William Douglas, instead of being at the end of his lifetime in dealing with cancer, it was actually the beginning of a new path unlike any he had ever traveled. How did he prevail through a Stage Four cancer diagnosis and come out for the better?
His memoir, Hope Is All I Have, champions the inspiration to live, no matter the circumstances. It is a story of faith, hope, love, friendship, medicine and how to navigate through many unknown challenges while entrenched in the battle of your life. If you, a family member, friend, loved one, or just an acquaintance has ever been faced with cancer, this memoir will give you an insightful story of their enduring battle. An inviting read about a most difficult subject, Hope Is All I Have is an inspirational story of true perseverance and survival.
“Defying all odds after a shocking death experience in surgery, Billy Douglas did more than survive: he lived and he continues to live and to share his inspirational story with other cancer patients, their loved ones, and healthcare professionals. This is a compelling book of faith–in both the spiritual and humanistic senses of that word–in which, as Billy says, PAP: Positive Attitude Prevails. Hope Is All I Have is as engaging as it is empowering.”—Jonathan Haupt, executive director, Pat Conroy Literary Center
“As a Medical Oncologist, I am exposed to the effects of cancer almost every day. Despite the obvious suffering that can accompany a cancer diagnosis, there are also moments of great hope and inspiration. Billy’s story is one of these examples of stealing light from potential darkness. I often feel like my career in cancer medicine allows me to understand to some extent what our patients are going through as they receive and tackle a cancer diagnosis. Stories like this one make me realize that I don’t know the half of it. Billy’s descriptions of the events he experienced help open my eyes to all of the aspects of a cancer journey that I would never even imagine having not walked in the shoes of someone dealing with the struggle first-hand. I hope that his story will serve as inspiration to patients facing cancer themselves, as well as those working to help find better therapies.”–Todd Gourdin, Medical Oncologist, Medical University of South Carolina
About the Author
William “Billy” Douglas had a successful fifty-year career in sales and marketing in the marine industry. As a product of the South, he enjoys writing and any kind of water activity.
He lives on Hilton Head Island with his wife Linda and their standard poodle Gianni. Douglas is the founder of the Terminate Cancer Foundation.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

Teddy Bear Picnic Read Aloud with Daylo December 2024
2024-12-07 09:30 - 12:00 | Port Royal Farmers Market, 1615 Ribault Rd, Port Royal, SC, 29935, United States
Saturday December 7, 2024 – 9:30 a.m. to noon EDT
Price: Free
Venue: Port Royal Farmers Market | Ribaut Rd & Pinckney Blvd, Port Royal, SC 29935
Website: Facebook Event Page
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.
Cozy 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.
DAYLO 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.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

Book Launch & Reading for Jared Madison
2024-12-08 12:00 - 14:00 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
When: Sunday, December 8, 2024 at noon – 2 PM EDT
Price: Free
Where: Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) | Please call in advance to reserve: (843) 379-7025
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host a book launch for Beaufortonian Jared Madison, author of The 30 Day Guide to Inner Peace, on Sunday, December 8, from noon to 2:00 p.m., at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort). Free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing. Light refreshments provided. Please call in advance to reserve: (843) 379-7025.
Event Facebook Page
About the Book:
One of three writers of the “Wholly Holistics” column in Lowcountry Weekly and host of the blog, “Magical Minute” (Instagram and TikTok @themagicalminute), Jared Madison has penned a self-help book for people who want more peace in their lives. In The 30 Day Guide to Inner Peace, Madison shares the method that helped him find his own inner peace through an immersion into positive life changes, a day at a time, for 30 days.
Each day offers a message and a practice. For example, the practice for Day 7 suggests that whenever you feel stuck, take a nap. Napping involves letting go, accepting, and getting comfortable with the seeming non-movement you’re experiencing. Purely practical.
Representative chapters include: “Judge Not,” “Radical Acceptance,” “What Do You Fear?” “What No Longer Serves You?” “Peace Through Forgiveness,” and “Making a Loving Commitment to Yourself.”
According to Madison, to attain inner peace, you must look inside yourself with a clear mind, see and accept whatever you observe, change the things you don’t like, and move ahead.
“Life gives us no shortage of experiences that may normally trigger an adverse reaction within us,” says Madison. “However, [in this book] you are given the tools to counteract your reactiveness. Instead, you will find yourself responding.”
About the Author:
Jared Madison is an entrepreneur and business owner, an artist, a writer, a Reiki practitioner, a student of quantum physics, and a passionate traveler who has spent his life being a student of self-development.
Realizing the link between science and spirituality, Madison began studying quantum physics in 2014 by attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s free online quantum physics classes. From there Madison would go on to obtain an associate’s degree in Math & Science, with plans to further his education in the field of Cell Development and Genetics.
In 2015, Madison launched a successful clothing brand company based in Tempe, Arizona, with a focus on meaningful spiritually symbolic design graphics. Today his clothing company has grown into 4 distinct brands with a remolded business blueprint launching in early 2025.
In 2020, Madison returned to Beaufort, after a successful stent in Los Angeles, and began the realization and life changes which have now culminated in The 30 Day Guide To Inner Peace, his third book. Madison is engaged to fiancé Kanani Robinson and is more than proud to call his mother one of his best friends. He has a fur child named Mama Kitty.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

December 2024 Open Mic Night
2024-12-12 18:00 - 19:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be held at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) on Thursday, December 12, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured presenters are children’s author Nancy E. Merrill and artist Colleen Sgroi, creators of the new holiday book, Elf Dust. Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres.
When: Thursday, December 12, 2024 at 6 PM – 7:30 PM EDT
Price: Free · Duration: 1 hr 30 min
Where: Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.)
Interested in reading as part of Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org
We want to build our community of writers and an appreciation for the art and talent of new, emerging, and long-time writers. Thank you for supporting this partnership!
Event Facebook Page
About our featured presenters:
Nancy E. Merrill is a mom of two children who were born in Hong Kong where she lived and worked for many years. Living there was an important element in the creation of Elf Dust. Highrise apartment life meant there were no chimneys and Santa wasn’t going to land on the roof. Something had to be found to ignite imagination and magic for her kids. Elf Dust did not disappoint. Today, Nancy lives in South Carolina after a consulting career around writing, communications, and creativity. She is delighted to offer Elf Dust to all who celebrate Christmas and the magic of imagination.

Colleen Sgroi dreamed of being an artist since she was a young girl. Her work is available worldwide on puzzles, calendars, prints, and greeting cards, and her art has been included in films by major motion picture companies. Her illustrations in children’s books have earned her a Moonbeam Best Illustrator Award, Feathered Quill Book Award, Mom’s Choice Awards, and IBS International Book Awards. She lives and creates in Massachusetts.

“A new addition to our Christmas library. Children will fall in love with the elves and Elf Dust. The illustrations bring you back to your childhood. Absolutely beautiful. This book will be your go to picture book this holiday season. Can’t wait to use this with my class.”–Heidi Lane, author and educator

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

An Evening with Andrew K. Clark, author of Where Dark Things Grow, in conversation with Dana Ridenour
2024-12-13 17:00 - 18:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Friday, December 13, 2024 – 5:00-6:30 PM EDT
Price: Free
Registration: Seating is limited; please call to reserve your spot: 843-379-7025.
Venue: Pat Conroy Literary Center | 601 Bladen St., Beaufort
Website: Facebook Event Page
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with debut novelist Andrew K. Clark, author of Where Dark Things Grow, in conversation with Dana Ridenour, author of the Lexie Montgomery Series, on Friday, December 13, at 5:00 p.m., at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort). Books will be available for sale and signing. Seating is limited: please reserve in advance to attend this free author event: 843-379-7025.
About Where Dark Things Grow
Fifteen-year-old Leo is watching the world crumble. His father is missing, and his mother is slipping into madness as she cares for Leo, his sick sister Goldfish, and two useless brothers. Relatives are no help, and the church folk have turned their backs in the middle of the Great Depression.
When he discovers an enchanted wulver from ancient folklore that will do his bidding, he decides to settle old scores. Revenge is sweet, but Leo soon learns he can’t control what he’s unleashed. It takes his spitfire best friend Lilyfax to help Leo overcome his anger and try to escape the wulver’s evil. As they search for his father, Leo, Lilyfax, and friends are pursued by dark forces and pulled into a rescue effort to find and save trafficked girls rumored to have been taken by the mysterious Blue Man.
Featuring elements of horror, folklore, and magical realism, Where Dark Things Grow is a dark bildungsroman set squarely in the place and culture of the 1930s Southern Appalachian Mountains.
“As haunting as all fireside stories should be. Where Dark Things Grow will make you sleep with the lights on.”—Jason Mott, winner of the National Book Award, and author of Hell of a Book
“Andrew K. Clark’s Where Dark Things Grow, is a page-turning epic of gothic adventure, full of wildly imagined creatures and black magic, propulsive, deeply felt, and wonderful. A marvel of a book.”—Tessa Fontaine, author of The Red Grove and The Electric Woman
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew K. Clark is a writer from Alexander, North Carolina, outside of Asheville where he now resides. His first full-length collection of poetry, Jesus in the Trailer, was short-listed for the Able Muse Book Award.
His work has appeared or is forthcoming in UCLA’s Out of Anonymity, Coffin Bell Journal, The Journal of American Poetry, Appalachian Review, Rappahannock Review, fall/lines, The Wrath Bearing Tree and many others. Clark earned his a B.A. in English and M.B.A. from Georgia Southern University, and an M.F.A. from Converse College.
Where Dark Things Grow is his debut novel.
ABOUT THE INTERVIEWER
Dana Ridenour is the award-winning author of the Lexie Montgomery FBI Series: Behind the Mask, Beyond the Cabin, and Below the Radar. Ridenour is a retired FBI special agent who spent most of her career as an undercover operative. She now lives and writes in the South Carolina lowcountry.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

Drop In Book Signing for Nancy E. Merrill, author of Elf Dust
2024-12-14 14:00 - 16:00 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
When (DATE CHANGE): Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 2 PM – 4 PM EDT
Price: Free
Where: Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.)
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host a free public drop-in book signing for local children’s author Nancy E. Merrill, author of the holiday picture book Elf Dust. Join us outside (weather permitting) on Saturday, December 14, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) in downtown Beaufort. No advance registration required. Books will be available for sale and signing.
Event Facebook Page
About the Book:
Elf Dust is a charming and captivating look into the world of elves, their visits to see children and how they magically evade humans and pets and always leave their magical calling card.
“A new addition to our Christmas library. Children will fall in love with the elves and Elf Dust. The illustrations bring you back to your childhood. Absolutely beautiful. This book will be your go to picture book this holiday season. Can’t wait to use this with my class.”–Heidi Lane, author and educator
About the Author:
Nancy E. Merrill is a mom of two children who were born in Hong Kong where she lived and worked for many years. Living there was an important element in the creation of Elf Dust.
Highrise apartment life meant there were no chimneys and Santa wasn’t going to land on the roof. Something had to be found to ignite imagination and magic for her kids. Elf Dust did not disappoint. Today, Nancy lives in South Carolina after a consulting career around writing, communications, and creativity. She is delighted to offer Elf Dust to all who celebrate Christmas and the magic of imagination.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

Holiday Teddy Bear Picnic Read Aloud with Daylo 2024
2024-12-21 13:00 - 15:00 | Beaufort County Library Main Branch, 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Saturday December 21, 2024 – 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT
Price: Free
Venue: Beaufort County Main Library (311 Scott St., Beaufort)
Website: Facebook Event Page
Join the student volunteers of DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization for a special bonus holiday Teddy Bear Picnic read-aloud at the Beaufort County Main Library (311 Scott St., Beaufort) on Saturday, December 21, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
In collaboration with the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, high school and college student volunteers from the Beaufort-based chapters of DAYLO will read from diverse, inclusive picture books to children and their families–including a special selection of some of DAYLO’s favorite holiday books.
Cozy blankets and a plethora of stuffed animals make a welcoming environment in this free community literacy program.
DAYLO 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.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

Teddy Bear Picnic Read Aloud with Daylo January 2025
2025-01-04 09:30 - 12:00 | Port Royal Farmers Market, 1615 Ribault Rd, Port Royal, SC, 29935, United States
Saturday January 4, 2025 – 9:30 a.m. to noon EDT
Price: Free
Venue: Port Royal Farmers Market | Ribaut Rd & Pinckney Blvd, Port Royal, SC 29935
Website: Facebook Event Page
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.
Cozy 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.
DAYLO 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.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

January 2025 Virtual Open Mic Night
2025-01-09 18:00 - 19:30 | Online – Facebook Live
The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be as a virtual event, live-streamed to our Facebook page, on Thursday, January 9, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured presenter is Niles Reddick, award-winning short story writer and author of Who’s Going to Pray for Me Now? Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres.
When: Thursday, January 9, 2025 at 6 PM – 7:30 PM EDT
Price: Free · Duration: 1 hr 30 min
Where: Virtual – Facebook
Interested in reading as part of Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org
We want to build our community of writers and an appreciation for the art and talent of new, emerging, and long-time writers. Thank you for supporting this partnership!
Event Facebook Page
About our author:
Niles Reddick is author of a novel, four short fiction collections, and two novellas. His work has appeared in over five hundred publications including The Saturday Evening Post, New Reader Magazine, Cheap Pop, Flash Fiction Magazine, Citron Review, Hong Kong Review, and Vestal Review.
“Even though we don’t know when it’s going to happen, be damn sure, if it’s going epic than we need a 1965 Skylark, fast and focused with a smooth and graceful landing, to help blast the transition! Reddick presses fiction into the ultimate excursion. DEATH! Who’s Going To Pray For Me Now is a mesmerizing collection: flammable and saturating tales of those final moments when we become feverish weeds whacked into oblivion. These narrative adventures are palpable and inescapable. LOVE! GET A COPY”–Meg Tuite, author of White Van and an editor at Bending Genres
“The stories in Niles Reddick’s Who’s Going to Pray for Me Now? show us what it means to be in the know, whether it’s the inside of a 1965 Skylark or the way to handle snakes in a county church. But there’s also a lot of heart here, the little hurts and reconciliations of coupledom in a world where two equals more than one plus one. The best flash fiction keeps opening outward after you’ve read it. Reddick’s stories do that and more.”—David Galef, author of My Date with Neanderthal Woman and editor of Vestal Review

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

Silent Book Club Jan 11 2025
2025-01-11 16:30 - 18:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
When: Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM EDT
Price: Free · Duration: 2 hrs
Where: Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen St., Beaufort, SC
Silent Book Club Beaufort, a unique take on the traditional book club, will launch Saturday, January 11, from 4:30pm-6:30pm at the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen St. Designed to offer 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.
The inaugural Silent 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.
Unlike 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.
The 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. Participants can drop in late or leave early to fit their schedules, with the simple request to arrive 5-10 minutes early to avoid disruptions.
Silent 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. Come embrace the joy of reading at Silent Book Club Beaufort!
Event Facebook Page

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

An Evening with Karen Salyer McElmurray
2025-01-24 17:00 - 18:00 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Friday, January 24, 2025 – 5:00-6:00 PM EDT
Price: Free
Registration: Seating is limited; please call to reserve your spot: 843-379-7025.
Venue: Pat Conroy Literary Center | 601 Bladen St., Beaufort
Website: Facebook Event Page
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with award-winning writer Karen Salyer McElmurray, author of the essay collection I Could Name God in Twelve Ways, on Friday, January 24, 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.
About I Could Name God in Twelve Ways
“I could dream in poetry, could summon words for spiritual experience, could name God in twelve ways and in ten times and places in history.”
Award-winning writer Karen Salyer McElmurray details her life’s journey across continents and decades in a poetic collection that is equal parts essay-as-memoir, memoir-as-Künstlerroman, and travelogue-as-meditation.
It is about the deserts of India. A hospital ward in Maryland. The blue seas of Greece. A greenhouse in Virginia. It is about the spirit houses of Thailand. The mountains of eastern Kentucky. The depths of the Grand Canyon. A creative writing classroom in Georgia. An attic in a generations-old house. It is about coming to terms with both memory and the power of writing itself.
At turns lyrical, poignant, and alluring, McElmurray probes her personal history from the stance of different places, perspectives, and vulnerabilities as she tenderly and fiercely searches for acceptance and a place to call home.
“McElmurray teaches us how to reckon and ravel, how to unpack secrets, abandon maps, and learn from everything, even vertigo, even a global pandemic. This book is for everyone who has ever felt vulnerable in this world, which is to say, everyone.”―Julie Marie Wade, author of Otherwise: Essays and Just an Ordinary Woman Breathing
“The essays in this stunning collection are elegiac, urgent, vulnerable―full of loss and longing. Although the narrative is rooted in Kentucky, the scope is global as the narrator travels literally and metaphorically toward love and away from the ghosts of the past.”―Sue William Silverman, author of Acetylene Torch Songs: Writing True Stories to Ignite the Soul
About the Author
Karen Salyer McElmurray’s Surrendered Child: A Birth Mother’s Journey, was an AWP Award Winner for Creative Nonfiction. Her novels are The Motel of the Stars, Editor’s Pick by Oxford American, and Strange Birds in the Tree of Heaven, winner of the Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing.
As a fiction writer, she is the recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kentucky Foundation for Women and the North Carolina Arts Council. Her work in nonfiction has been a recipient of the Annie Dillard Award for the Essay, the New Southerner Award, the Orison Anthology Award for Creative Nonfiction and, most recently, the LitSouth Award. She has co-edited, with poet Adrian Blevins, an essay collection called Walk till the Dogs Get Mean. Wanting Radiance, a novel, and Voice Lessons, a short collection of lyric essays, came out in 2021. A new essay collection, I Could Name God in Twelve Ways came out in September 2024 from University Press of Kentucky.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

Workshop: Endings and Beginnings, Led by Karen Salyer McElmurray
2025-01-25 09:30 - 12:00 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Register: Register at EventBrite
Saturday, January 25, 2025 · 9:30am – 12pm EST
Cost: $60
Limited to 12 participants
Venue: Pat Conroy Literary Center | 601 Bladen St Beaufort, SC 29902
Graham Greene once said, “a story has no beginning or end: arbitrarily one chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead.” This arbitrariness—catching hold of an idea or a dream or a moment of insight—is certainly part of the sheer magic of writing. Deciding how to start a story and how to end it involves careful translation of our original moments of insight.
Beginnings and endings become careful revision once we capture the arbitrary experience we begin with. This workshop will look at some examples of openings and endings from essays and longer works of memoir. We will discuss, and we will also begin work on writing some openings of our own.
This is an in-person writers workshop, held at the Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.). Limited to 12 participants with advance registration required: $60/person.
Learn more and register at EventBrite
Website: Facebook Event Page
About our instructor:
Karen Salyer McElmurray’s Surrendered Child: A Birth Mother’s Journey, was an AWP Award Winner for Creative Nonfiction. Her novels are The Motel of the Stars, Editor’s Pick by Oxford American, and Strange Birds in the Tree of Heaven, winner of the Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing.
As a fiction writer, she is the recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kentucky Foundation for Women and the North Carolina Arts Council. Her work in nonfiction has been a recipient of the Annie Dillard Award for the Essay, the New Southerner Award, the Orison Anthology Award for Creative Nonfiction and, most recently, the LitSouth Award. She has co-edited, with poet Adrian Blevins, an essay collection called Walk till the Dogs Get Mean. Wanting Radiance, a novel, and Voice Lessons, a short collection of lyric essays, came out in 2021. A new essay collection, I Could Name God in Twelve Ways came out in September 2024 from University Press of Kentucky.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

Teddy Bear Picnic Read Aloud with Daylo February 2025
2025-02-01 09:30 - 12:00 | Port Royal Farmers Market, 1615 Ribault Rd, Port Royal, SC, 29935, United States
Saturday February 1, 2025 – 9:30 a.m. to noon EDT
Price: Free
Venue: Port Royal Farmers Market | Ribaut Rd & Pinckney Blvd, Port Royal, SC 29935
Website: Facebook Event Page
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.
Cozy 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.
DAYLO 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.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

Workshop: Writing Our Truths, Led by Tayler Simon
2025-02-13 16:00 - 17:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Register: Register at EventBrite
Thursday, February 13, 2025 · 4 – 5:30pm EST
Cost: $45
Limited to 12 participants
Venue: Pat Conroy Literary Center | 601 Bladen St Beaufort, SC 29902
Writing Our Truths: The Power of Autobiographical Poetry & Self-Publishing Your Own Chapbook — Led by Tayler Simon
Turn your life story into a compelling poetry chapbook! This workshop guides you through crafting autobiographical poems that capture personal experiences to resonate with readers. Through a guided writing exercise, you’ll refine your work while learning the basics of self-publishing. We’ll cover chapbook organization, layout, and production options, so you leave ready to bring your unique voice to print. Ideal for poets of all levels, this workshop will empower you to create a poetic mini-memoir and self-publish a chapbook to use your story for good.
This is an in-person writers workshop, held at the Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.). Limited to 12 participants with advance registration required; $45/person.
Learn more and register at EventBrite
Website: Facebook Event Page
About our instructor:
Tayler Simon (she/her) is a writer, social worker, and the owner of the bookstore, Liberation is Lit. She has self-published three books, Phases: Poems, Writing Our Truths: A Guide to Self-Publishing for BIPOC Writers, and Love and Other Forms of Heartbreak. Tayler is passionate about promoting social liberation through the power of transformative stories.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

February 2025 Open Mic Night
2025-02-13 18:00 - 19:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be held at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) on Thursday, February 13, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured author is Tayler Simon, founder of Liberation Is Lit and author of Phases and Love and Other Forms of Heartbreak. Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres.
When: Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 6 PM – 7:30 PM EDT
Price: Free · Duration: 1 hr 30 min
Where: Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.)
Interested in reading as part of Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org
We want to build our community of writers and an appreciation for the art and talent of new, emerging, and long-time writers. Thank you for supporting this partnership!
Event Facebook Page
About our featured author:
Tayler Simon (she/her) is a writer, social worker, and the owner of the bookstore Liberation is Lit. She has self-published three books: Phases: Poems, Writing Our Truths: A Guide to Self-Publishing for BIPOC Writers, and Love and Other Forms of Heartbreak. Tayler is passionate about promoting social liberation through the power of transformative stories.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

An Evening with contributing writers to The Heartbeat of Quiet Streets
2025-02-21 17:00 - 18:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Friday, February 21, 2025 – 5:00-6:30 PM EDT
Price: Free
Registration: Seating is limited; please call to reserve your spot: 843-379-7025.
Venue: Pat Conroy Literary Center | 601 Bladen St., Beaufort
Website: Facebook Event Page
The Pat Conroy Literary Center will host a discussion by a panel of contributing writers to the anthology The Heartbeat of Quiet Streets, all members of the Chapin/Irmo Chapter of the South Carolina Writers Association, on Friday, February 21, at 5:00 p.m. Panelists will discuss both the content of the book as well as its publication.
This event is free and open to the public. Copies of the anthology as well as other books by the contributing writers will be available for sale and signing. To reserve a seat in advance, please call 843-379-7025.
ABOUT THE ANTHOLOGY AND CONTRIBUTORS
“The Heartbeat of Quiet Streets is an outstanding collection of polished work from authors who know their canvas. The South, small towns and mid-century summers collide in verse with quiet tension and churning drama.”–Kasie Whitener, PhD, University of South Carolina, Darla Moore School of Business
“The Heartbeat of Quiet Streets is an amazing title for a quality compilation of writing pieces. I chose one or two at a time to read, to best enjoy them, sinking into each, basking in the unique world each had to offer. Kudos not only to the writers, but to the editor who made the pieces an admirable whole.”–C. Hope Clark, award-winning author of The Carolina Slade Mysteries, the Edisto Island Mysteries, and the Craven County Mysteries
Glen Bramlitt, an artist and engineer in South Carolina, blends the boundless possibilities of ‘what-if’ with a vivid imagination. His current genre is dystopian fiction. Glen is an accomplished wood-working artist who carved charcuterie boards as a thank you to our guest testimonials.
Sue Cryer served on the South Carolina Writer’s Association Board of Directors and co-edited Catfish Stew, SCWA member’s anthology, The Quill newsletter, and The Petigru Review, now an international publication. She also served on The State Newspaper’s Community Advisory Board and runs a home business. She recently completed a fictional memoir, Surviving Riversedge.
By day, Laura Lanni teaches organic chemistry and oversees her undergraduate research laboratory. When not teaching or writing, she can be found working with writers in her critique group, running, hugging her grandchildren, riding a jet-ski, blogging, and baking.
Carolyn Hartley is a six times #1 best-selling author. She has been in publishing for more than thirty years as an author, publicist, speaker, and publisher for Fortune 500 companies. Her historical fiction trilogy, The Buried Sunshine series, won the International Book Impact Award in 2024 in the Historical Fiction category.
Terresa Cooper Haskew’s poetry and prose has appeared in more than fifty printed journal and anthology issues (Atlanta Review, American Journal of Nursing, The Main Street Rag). Her story, “Living the Dream,” was showcased in 2013 as a short film by Ron Hagell and Shirley Smith. Her first novel, Winston’s Book of Souls is forthcoming in Spring 2025.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

Silent Book Club Feb 22 2025
2025-02-22 16:30 - 18:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
When: Saturday, February 22, 2025 at 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM EDT
Price: Free · Duration: 2 hrs
Where: Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen St., Beaufort, SC
Silent Book Club Beaufort, a unique take on the traditional book club, will hold its second meetup on Saturday, February 22, from 4:30pm-6:30pm at the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen St. Designed to offer 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.
Silent 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.
Unlike 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.
Silent Book Club Beaufort also features a book swap: Leave a book, take a book.
The 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.
Silent 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. Come embrace the joy of reading at Silent Book Club Beaufort!
Event Facebook Page

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

An Evening with novelist Jen Marie Wiggins, author of The Good Bride
2025-02-27 17:00 - 18:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Thursday, February 27, 2025 – 5:00-6:30 PM EDT (Rescheduled from December)
Price: Free
Registration: Seating is limited; please call to reserve your spot: 843-379-7025.
Venue: Pat Conroy Literary Center | 601 Bladen St., Beaufort
Website: Facebook Event Page
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with novelist Jen Marie Wiggins, author of The Good Bride, on Thursday, February 27, 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.
About The Good Bride
The Wedding of the Year turns disastrous in this twisty family drama full of lies and betrayals, perfect for fans of Laura Dave, Lucy Foley, and Ruth Ware.
One year after a devastating hurricane, bride-to-be Ruth Bancroft is marrying her perfect groom in a quaint fishing village on the Gulf Coast. The weekend is carefully curated, with the displays of pomp and social media magic meant to promote an area still struggling to rebuild as well as bring Ruth’s estranged family back together.
Yet as good intentions often go, this road to wed is hell and paved in complications. With tensions rising between the family and the bridal party, long-buried secrets come to light, and accusations start flying. Things officially spiral out of control when the oceanfront rehearsal dinner is rocked by a series of gunshots, and a high-profile guest goes missing. As the investigation gets underway, it turns out that everyone has something to hide.
Big Little Lies meets The Guest List in this gripping page turner that asks the big questions about messy family liaisons, modern media, and the lies we tell the world.
About the Author
Jen Marie Wiggins’s first book, the gifty nonfiction title Married AF: A Funny Guide for the Newlywed or Bride, was published with Sourcebooks in 2022.
She has a background in advertising and public relations, and her writing has appeared in Southern Coastal Weddings, Savannah Magazine, Savannah Homes, and elsewhere. The Good Bride draws much of its inspiration from the devastation and rebuilding struggles of Mexico Beach, Florida, a place near and dear to Jen’s heart.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

Pat Conroy: An Introduction to a Lowcountry Legend
2025-02-27 18:00 - 19:00 | Charleston County Public Library, 68 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC, 29401, United States
Thursday, February 27, 2025 – 6:00-7:00 PM EDT
Price: Free
Venue: Charleston County Public Library (68 Calhoun St. Charleston, SC)
Website: Facebook Event Page
On Thursday, February 27, at 6:00-7:00 p.m. the Charleston County Public Library will host Pat Conroy: An Introduction to a Lowcountry Legend. Presented by Jonathan Haupt, executive director of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, this free literary program will be held at the Main Library at 68 Calhoun St. in historic downtown Charleston.
Internationally acclaimed writer Pat Conroy (1945-2016) is best remembered as the author of The Water Is Wide, The Great Santini, The Lords of Discipline, and The Prince of Tides, each also adapted for film. Conroy has become as synonymous with his adopted lowcountry as pluff mud or Spanish Moss.
Join the Conroy Center executive director—and one of Pat’s many protégés—for an engaging hour of stories, photos, and videos introducing Conroy’s writing and teaching life and exploring some of the major themes of his work, as well as how the nonprofit literary center established in his memory now continues his legacy.
About the Presenter
Jonathan Haupt is the executive director of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, the past director of the University of South Carolina Press, and co-editor of the anthology Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy, winner of 17 book awards.
He is a frequent guest book reviewer for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Charleston Post and Courier. In 2020, he was honored with the Doug Marlette Literacy Leadership Award, a lifetime achievement recognition presented by the Pulpwood Queens, the largest read-and-meet book club in the U.S. Under Jonathan’s leadership, the Conroy Center has been recognized as an American Library Association Literary Landmark, an affiliate of the American Writers Museum, and winner of the Civitas Award for Tourism Leadership.
With Claire Bennett, Jonathan also serves as co-mentor to the student leaders of DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization, who in turn have been recognized with a national commendation from the American Association of School Librarians, the South Carolina Education Association’s Richard W. Riley Award for Human and Civil Rights, and an honorable mention for the South Carolina Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Award.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

9th Annual March Forth
2025-03-01 - 2025-03-02
Ninth Annual March Forth to Be Held on March 1 & 2 in Port Royal, Beaufort, and St. Helena Island
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.
Learn more and register in advance at Eventbrite
March Forth will include appearances by:

Ashley Hope Pérez: YA novelist, educator, advocate, and editor of Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights
Kimberly Brock: novelist, past Georgia Author of the Year, and author of The Fabled Earth, a finalist for the Townsend Prize for Fiction
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
Katherine Freeman: National Park Service Ranger with the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park
Jake Zadik: Brays Island naturalist, nature photographer, and cofounder of South Carolina Partners of Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (SCPARC)
Juliana Zadik: naturalist, educator, and Beaufort County Long-Range Environmental Planner
Dana Ridenour: retired FBI undercover special agent, author of the Lexie Montgomery series
Eugene A. Rugala: retired FBI “profiler,” behavioral science consultant and author
DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization

This year, March Forth is hosted by Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt and nationally recognized youth advocate Julia Garnett.
March 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.
~EVENTS FOR SATURDAY MARCH 1~
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.: Reconstruction Era National Historic Park ToursExplore the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park locations in Beaufort, Port Royal, and St. Helena. Free. See Details Here.
9:30 a.m. to Noon: Read with a Ranger and Teddy Bear Picnic at the Port Royal Farmers MarketStudent 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.
10:00 a.m. to Noon: Demythologizing the FBI: What Writers Get Wrong, Workshop Led by Dana Ridenour and Eugene A. RugalaJoin 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 Eventbrite.
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Penn Center’s York W. Bailey Museum ToursExplore Penn Center and the York W. Bailey Museum (16 Penn Center Circle West, St. Helena Island). Docent-led tours available. $15-$20/person.
Noon to 4:00 p.m.: Pat Conroy Literary Center ToursThe nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort) is open for free public tours, guided by volunteer docents.
5:00 to 6:00 p.m.: Facebook Live Interview with Ashley Hope Pérez, Editor of Banned Together, in Conversation with Jonathan Haupt and Julia Garnett
Ashley 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 Facebook page and available to watch through Monday, March 3, at 6:00 p.m. No registration required.
~EVENTS FOR SUNDAY MARCH 2~
All Sunday events are ticketed (Eventbrite)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.

9:30-10:00 a.m.: Attendee check-in.
10:00-11:30 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.
11:30 to Noon. Catered lunch by Magnolia’s Cafe. Included in $30/person registration.
Noon 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.
1:00 to 1:30 p.m.: Book signing break with NeverMore Books.
1:30 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.
2:30-3:00 p.m.: Book signing break with NeverMore Books.
3:00 p.m.: Closing remarks
