An Evening with William “Billy” Douglas, author of Hope Is All I Have
2024-12-04 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | 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.

An Evening with Memoirist William Douglas, Author of Hope Is All I Have
2024-12-04 18:00 - 19:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center
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 THE BOOK AND AUTHOR
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 AlI 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
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.

Monthly Teddy Bear Picnic Read-Aloud with DAYLO
2024-12-07 09:30 - 12:00, 2025-01-04 09:30 - 12:00, 2025-02-01 09:30 - 12:00 | Port Royal Farmers Market
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.
The 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.

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.

Book Launch and Reading for Jared Madison, Author of The 30 Day Guide to Inner Peace
2024-12-08 12:00 - 14:00 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
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.
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.

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.

Open Mic Night -- Featuring Nancy E. Merrill, Author of the Children's Book Elf Dust
2024-12-12 18:00 - 19:30 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
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 is Nancy E. Merrill, author of the new children’s holiday book Elf Dust. 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 Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org.
About Our Featured Presenter
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.
About Elf Dust’s Illustrator
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

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.

An Evening with Andrew K. Clark, Author of Where Dark Things Grow, in Conversation w/ Dana Ridenour
2024-12-13 17:00 - 18:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center
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 THE NOVEL
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 Grown 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.

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.

Drop-In Book Signing for Local Children's Author Nancy E. Merrill, Author of Elf Dust
2024-12-14 14:00 - 16:00 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
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.
About the Book and Author:
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
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.

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.

Holiday Teddy Bear Picnic Read-Aloud with DAYLO
2024-12-21 13:00 - 15:00 | Beaufort County Library System, 311 Scott St, Beaufort, SC, 29902, US
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.
The 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.

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.

Virtual Open Mic Night -- Featuring Niles Reddick, Author of Who's Going to Pray for Me Now?
2025-01-09 18:00 - 19:30 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
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.
Interested in reading as part of virtual Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org.
About Our Featured Author:
Niles Reddick is author of a novel, four short fiction collections, and two novellas. His work has appeared in over five hundredpublications 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

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.

Silent Book Club Beaufort
2025-01-11 16:30 - 18:30 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
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!

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.

An Evening with Karen Salyer McElmurray, Author of I Could Name God in Twelve Ways
2025-01-24 17:00 - 18:00 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
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 and the novel Wanting Radiance, on Friday, January 24, at 5:00 p.m., at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort). Sponsored in part by WayWord Books, this author event is 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.
McElmurray will also lead a writing workshop on Saturday, January 25, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Details and registration: https://endingsandbeginningsworkshop.eventbrite.com
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 WANTING RADIANCE
Miracelle Loving’s world comes crashing down when her mother, Ruby, is murdered during a fortune-telling session gone wrong. Without the guidance of her mother, Miracelle grows up following the only path she knows, traveling from town to town, sometimes fortune-telling, picking up odd jobs to fill the time and escape the ever-present lostness she can’t seem to run far enough away from.
Uncertain of what she wants and, indeed, whether she wants anything or anyone at all, the now thirty-something-year-old finds herself working as a card reader in a Knoxville dive bar, selling fictions as futures, when she is confronted with her mother’s ghost voice promising to reveal the truth about her shadowy past. Desperate for answers, Miracelle sets out on a magical road trip unlike any other, in search of her own story and a father she’s never known.
Following snowy highways and backroads, Miracelle stumbles across a museum of oddities and a hole-in-the-road town called Radiant, ultimately wandering into the town of Smyte, where she begins waitressing at the Black Cat Diner. Here, she befriends card-playing has-been Russell Wallen, whom she joins for a series of nighttime adventures, long drives, and after-dark visits to a Holy Roller church. This mythical journey uncovers family secrets and forgotten truths, transforming a familiar story of love and betrayal to reveal the binding power of magic and memory.
“A poetic tale of a daughter’s quiet exploration of her past and how it pushes her forward.” —The Rumpus
“An incantatory Appalachian gothic tale of love, murder, and restless souls, populated with unforgettable flesh-and-blood characters . . . [a] masterpiece.” —Amy Greene, national bestselling author
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.

Endings and Beginnings: Writing Workshop Led by Karen Salyer McElmurray
2025-01-25 09:30 - 12:00 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
Endings and Beginnings
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.
Register: https://endingsandbeginningsworkshop.eventbrite.com
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.

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.

Workshop -- Writing Our Truths: The Power of Autobiographical Poetry, with Tayler Simon
2025-02-13 16:00 - 17:30 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 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.
Registration: https://writingourtruths.eventbrite.com
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.
Tayler will also be the featured author at that evening’s Open Mic Night at the Conroy Center, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

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.

Open Mic Night -- Featuring Tayler Simon, Author of Phases and Love & Other Forms of Heartbreak
2025-02-13 18:00 - 19:30 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
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.
Interested in reading as part of Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org.
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.
As part of her visit to the Conroy Center, Taylor will also be teaching a writing workshop earlier that afternoon from 4:00 to 5:30: Writing Our Truths: The Power of Autobiographical Poetry & Self-Publishing Your Own Chapbook. Learn more at https://writingourtruths.eventbrite.com.
