Demythologizing the FBI: What Writers Get Wrong Led by Dana Ridenour and Eugene A. Rugala Join 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 [...]

Writing Believable Law Enforcement Characters A Workshop for Writers Led by Dana Ridenour and Eugene A. Rugala Law 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 [...]

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. Interested in reading as part of virtual Open Mic? [...]

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. Dawn Major is an associate editor for the Southern Literary Review. Her debut novel, The [...]

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. Silent Book Club Beaufort is co-sponsored by the Conroy Center and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization), bringing together [...]

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. About the Book and Authors Written by Elizabeth Boatwright Coker's daughter, Penelope Coker Hall, and [...]

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 [...]

The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with USA Today bestselling novelist Colleen Oakley, author of Jane and Dan at the End of the World, on Friday, April 4, at 5:00 p.m., at Conroy Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort). Oakley will be joined in conversation by Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt. Free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing. Please call to reserve your seat in advance: 843-379-7025. About the Novel: Date night goes off [...]

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, [...]

The Pat Conroy Literary Center's monthly Open Mic Night will be held at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) on Thursday, April 10, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. For National Poetry Month, Open Mic Night will feature poet and memoirist Galen Warden, author of I Believe You: When Doctors Won't, A Mother Must. She will also be reading on behalf of her son, James Strazza, author of Unsung: Poems Written in the Dark. Open Mic will also include short readings of 3 to 5 minutes [...]

Silent Book Club Beaufort, a unique take on the traditional book club, will hold its next meetup on Saturday, April 12, 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. Silent Book Club Beaufort is co-sponsored by the Conroy Center and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization), bringing together [...]