Open Mic Night--Featuring Galen Warden, Author of I Believe You, Also Reading for Poet James Strazza
2025-04-10 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | 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, 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 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 Authors
Galen Warden has enjoyed poetry since childhood, drawing from the joyful, transcendent, and most difficult moments of her life. From adolescence through motherhood, divorce, dating, and caregiving—and throughout her career as a designer and marketer for Bowker and LexisNexis—poetry has been a steady companion. Her work has appeared in Sensations Magazine, The Ever-Dancing Muse, Get Satisfied, and Lips, plus the anthologies Poets of the Palisades, The Paterson Literary Review, and The World Book of Healing. Galen is a fourth-generation Beaufortonian who has cared for her adult son James in her home for the past five years. Her forthcoming memoir, I Believe You, captures the heartrending reality of very severe M.E.
“I have come to know Galen as an amazing mother, caregiver and advocate. Patients, families, caregivers and medical professionals will benefit from her lived experience and effectiveness…. Her book is a highly effective clarion call to anyone with ME or long COVID to just rest, and to their loved ones to support them. I believe it’s what the world urgently needs right now.”—Janet L. Dafoe, PhD, psychologist
James Strazza was a prolific songwriter as well as a professional music producer when his young life was destroyed by a serious neurological disease. His only creative outlet became texting on his phone, so he leveraged his songwriting skills for a newfound passion: poetry. His second collection of poetry is Unsung, Poems Written in the Dark.
“This poet—and he is a poet in the fullest sense—gives utterance to a horrific reality that escapes all utterance. Transforming us into witnesses, he ignites our own soul: to read James Strazza is to burn with him.And to be forever transformed.”—David Patterson, Hillel A. Feinberg Distinguished Chair in Holocaust Studies, University of Texas at Dallas

Silent Book Club Beaufort
2025-04-12 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 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 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 via the SBCB Instagram page at www.instagram.com/silentbookclubbeaufort.

An Evening with novelist Dawn Tripp, author of Jackie
2025-04-15 17:00 - 18:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Tuesday, April 15, 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
In partnership with NeverMore Books, the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with novelist Dawn Tripp, author of Jackie, on Tuesday, April 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 through NeverMore Books. Seating is limited; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025.
ABOUT THE BOOK AND AUTHOR
“An intimate, episodic narrative… Tripp’s wonderful, pointillistic skill with physical description and the deft, empathetic leaps she takes — jumping off from letters, contemporary memoirs and photographs snapped of the former First Lady — gives “Jackie” undeniable emotional punch. Tripp’s book stands out for its psychological acuity… notable for its admirable emphasis on the intelligence and grace of this valiant American woman.”—Washington Post
“Perfect for those who can’t get enough from one of the country’s most iconic couples.” —People
In this mesmerizing novel of the life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, bestselling author Dawn Tripp has crafted an intimate story of love and power, family and tragedy, loss, and reinvention.
Jackie is the story of a woman who forged a legacy out of grief and shaped history even as she was living it—a deeply private person with a nuanced, formidable intellect. It is the story of a love affair, a complicated marriage, and the fracturing of identity that comes in the wake of unthinkable violence.
When Jackie meets the charismatic congressman Jack Kennedy in Georgetown, she is twenty-one and dreaming of France. She has won an internship at Vogue, and she thinks Kennedy is not her kind of adventure: “Too American. Too good-looking. Too boy.” Yet she is drawn to his mind, his humor, and his drive. The chemistry between them ignites. During the White House years, the love between two independent people deepens. Then, a motorcade in Dallas: “Three and a half seconds—that’s all it was—a slivered instant between the first shot, which missed the car, and the second, which did not. . . . A hypnotic burst of sunlight off her bracelet as she waved.”
This spellbinding novel is a window into the world of a woman who led many different lives: Jackie, Jacks, Jacqueline, Miss Bouvier, Mrs. Kennedy, Mrs. Onassis, Jackie O. It is at once a deeply human story and a captivating work of imagination that comes right up against what she was thinking and feeling, what she was afraid of, fought for, and believed in.
Dawn Tripp’s novel Georgia was a national bestseller, finalist for the New England Book Award, and winner of the Mary Lynn Kotz Award for Art in Literature. She is also the author of three previous novels: Game of Secrets, Moon Tide, and The Season of Open Water, which won the Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction.

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 Dawn Tripp, Author of Jackie
2025-04-15 17:00 - 18:30 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
In partnership with NeverMore Books, the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with novelist Dawn Tripp, author of Jackie, on Tuesday, April 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 through NeverMore Books. Seating is limited; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025.
About the Book and Author:
“An intimate, episodic narrative… Tripp’s wonderful, pointillistic skill with physical description and the deft, empathetic leaps she takes — jumping off from letters, contemporary memoirs and photographs snapped of the former First Lady — gives “Jackie” undeniable emotional punch…Tripp’s book stands out for its psychological acuity… notable for its admirable emphasis on the intelligence and grace of this valiant American woman.”—Washington Post
“Perfect for those who can’t get enough from one of the country’s most iconic couples.” —People
In this mesmerizing novel of the life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, bestselling author Dawn Tripp has crafted an intimate story of love and power, family and tragedy, loss, and reinvention.
Jackie is the story of a woman who forged a legacy out of grief and shaped history even as she was living it—a deeply private person with a nuanced, formidable intellect. It is the story of a love affair, a complicated marriage, and the fracturing of identity that comes in the wake of unthinkable violence.
When Jackie meets the charismatic congressman Jack Kennedy in Georgetown, she is twenty-one and dreaming of France. She has won an internship at Vogue, and she thinks Kennedy is not her kind of adventure: “Too American. Too good-looking. Too boy.”Yet she is drawn to his mind, his humor, and his drive. The chemistry between them ignites. During the White House years, the love between two independent people deepens. Then, a motorcade in Dallas: “Three and a half seconds—that’s all it was—a slivered instant between the first shot, which missed the car, and the second, which did not. . . . A hypnotic burst of sunlight off her bracelet as she waved.”
This spellbinding novel is a window into the world of a woman who led many different lives: Jackie, Jacks, Jacqueline, Miss Bouvier, Mrs. Kennedy, Mrs. Onassis, Jackie O. It is at once a deeply human story and a captivating work of imagination that comes right up against what she was thinking and feeling, what she was afraid of, fought for, and believed in.
Dawn Tripp’s novel Georgia was a national bestseller, finalist for the New England Book Award, and winner of the Mary Lynn Kotz Award for Art in Literature. She is also the author of three previous novels: Game of Secrets, Moon Tide, and The Season of Open Water, which won the Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction.

An Evening with novelist Emily Carpenter, author of Gothictown
2025-04-17 17:00 - 18:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Thursday, April 17, 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 nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with novelist Emily Carpenter, author of the newly published novel Gothictown, on Thursday, April 17, 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 AUTHOR
“A high-energy read that effortlessly reinvents the modern Gothic while delivering all the elements that make the genre so captivating: a haunting atmosphere, a dark legacy, a determined heroine and a whisper of horror. I love the Gothic and I love Gothictown.” —Jayne Ann Krentz, New York Times bestselling author
“Just the right amount of creepiness to add a scary but not terrifying element to the promised gothic tale, and the post-pandemic what-do-I-do-now feeling is spot on.” —firstCLUE
*A Publishers Marketplace BUZZ BOOKS Selection*
In an immersive Southern Gothic with echoes of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery and Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, a restauranteur lured by pandemic-era incentives moves her family to a seemingly idyllic small town in Georgia, only to discover a darkness lurking beneath the Southern hospitality and sun-dappled streets.
The email that lands in Billie Hope’s inbox seems like a gift from the universe. For $100, she can purchase a spacious Victorian home in Juliana, Georgia, a small town eager to boost its economy in the wake of the pandemic. She can leave behind her cramped New York City rental and the painful memories of shuttering her once thriving restaurant and start over with her husband and her daughter. Plus, she’ll get a business grant to open a new restaurant in a charming riverside community laden with opportunity. It seems like a dream come true…or a devil’s bargain.
A few phone calls and one hurried visit later, and Billie, Peter, and six-year-old Meredith are officially part of the Juliana Initiative. The town is everything promised—two hours northwest of Atlanta but a world away from city living, a “gentle jewel” with weather as warm as its people. Between settling into their lavish home and starting her new restaurant, Billie is busy enough to dismiss any troubling signS.
But Billie’s sleep is marred by haunting dreams, and her marriage with Peter is growing increasingly strained. Meanwhile the town elders, all descended from Juliana’s founding families, exert a level of influence that feels less benevolent and more stifling day by day.
There’s something about “Gentle Juliana”—something off-kilter and menacing beneath that famous Southern hospitality. And no matter how much Billie longed for her family to come here, she’s starting to wonder how, and if, they’ll ever leave.
Emily Carpenter is a bestselling author of suspense novels including Burying the Honeysuckle Girls, The Weight of Lies and Gothictown.
Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, she graduated from Auburn University and worked in New York City as an actor, producer, screenwriter, and behind-the-scenes soap opera assistant for the CBS shows As the World Turns and Guiding Light. She now lives with her family outside Atlanta, Georgia, and can be found online at EmilyCarpenterAuthor.com.

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 Emily Carpenter, Author of Gothictown
2025-04-17 17:00 - 18:30 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, in partnership with NeverMore Books, will host an evening with novelist Emily Carpenter, author of the newly published novel Gothictown, on Thursday, April 17, at 5:00 p.m., at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort). Carpenter will be in conversation with Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt. 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
“A high-energy read that effortlessly reinvents the modern Gothic while delivering all the elements that make the genre so captivating: a haunting atmosphere, a dark legacy, a determined heroine and a whisper of horror. I love the Gothic and I love Gothictown.” —Jayne Ann Krentz, New York Times bestselling author
“Just the right amount of creepiness to add a scary but not terrifying element to the promised gothic tale, and the post-pandemic what-do-I-do-now feeling is spot on.” —firstCLUE
*A Publishers Marketplace BUZZ BOOKS Selection*
In an immersive Southern Gothic with echoes of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery and Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, a restauranteur lured by pandemic-era incentives moves her family to a seemingly idyllic small town in Georgia, only to discover a darkness lurking beneath the Southern hospitality and sun-dappled streets.
The email that lands in Billie Hope’s inbox seems like a gift from the universe. For $100, she can purchase a spacious Victorian home in Juliana, Georgia, a small town eager to boost its economy in the wake of the pandemic. She can leave behind her cramped New York City rental and the painful memories of shuttering her once thriving restaurant and start over with her husband and her daughter. Plus, she’ll get a business grant to open a new restaurant in a charming riverside community laden with opportunity. It seems like a dream come true…or a devil’s bargain.
A few phone calls and one hurried visit later, and Billie, Peter, and six-year-old Meredith are officially part of the Juliana Initiative. The town is everything promised—two hours northwest of Atlanta but a world away from city living, a “gentle jewel” with weather as warm as its people. Between settling into their lavish home and starting her new restaurant, Billie is busy enough to dismiss any troubling signS.
But Billie’s sleep is marred by haunting dreams, and her marriage with Peter is growing increasingly strained. Meanwhile the town elders, all descended from Juliana’s founding families, exert a level of influence that feels less benevolent and more stifling day by day.
There’s something about “Gentle Juliana”—something off-kilter and menacing beneath that famous Southern hospitality. And no matter how much Billie longed for her family to come here, she’s starting to wonder how, and if, they’ll ever leave.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Emily Carpenter is a bestselling author of suspense novels including Burying the Honeysuckle Girls, The Weight of Lies and Gothictown. Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, she graduated from Auburn University and worked in New York City as an actor, producer, screenwriter, and behind-the-scenes soap opera assistant for the CBS shows As the World Turns and Guiding Light. She now lives with her family outside Atlanta, Georgia, and can be found online at EmilyCarpenterAuthor.com.
ABOUT THE INTERVIEWER
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 Charleston Post and Courier and a mentor to the student leaders of DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization.

Tuesday Talk: Pat Conroy as Nature Writer (An Earth Day Special Event)
2025-04-22 17:30 - 18:30 | Port Royal Sound Maritime Center
“My soul grazes like a lamb on the beauty of an indrawn tide.”—Pat Conroy, The Prince of Tides
Honoring Earth Day, Pat Conroy Literary Center executive director Jonathan Haupt and poet Tim Conroy will discuss the nature writing of Pat Conroy, the bestselling author of The Water Is Wide, The Great Santini, The Prince of Tides, and more. From his obscure boyhood poetry to his beloved lyrical adult prose, Conroy wrote about the beauty of our natural world as both wondrous and perilous, using the lowcountry not only as a setting but as the central character of his many books. This presentation will highlight representative examples of Conroy’s nature writing from across the span of his writing life, drawing attention to how Conroy’s relationship with nature is also ultimately a relationship with his deeply felt spiritual and humanistic faith.
This event will be held at the Port Royal Sound Foundation Maritime Center (310 Okatie Hwy) on Tuesday, April 22, at 5:30 p.m. $10/person. To register, visit portroyalsoundfoundation.org and click the orange “Book A Program” button.
About Our Presenters
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. 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.
Tim Conroy, the author of the collections Theologies of Terrain and No True Route, is a poet and retired educator. His work has appeared in Fall Lines, Blue Mountain Review, Jasper Magazine, Marked by the Water, Sheltered, Twelve Mile Review, Poetry on the Comet, The Post and Courier, Ukweli: Searching for Healing Truth, DWG Anthology, and Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy. In 2022, he received the Broad River Prize for prose from Fall Lines, Volume IX. A founding board member of the Pat Conroy Literary Center established in his brother’s honor, “My soul grazes like a lamb on the beauty of an indrawn tide.”—Pat Conroy, The Prince of Tides

An Evening with Marjory Wentworth, author of One River, One Boat
2025-04-25 17:00 - 18:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Friday, April 25, 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
In honor of National Poetry Month, the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with Marjory Wentworth, past Poet Laureate of South Carolina, and author of One River, One Boat, on Friday, April 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 AUTHOR
Famously cut from Governor Nikki Haley’s inauguration in 2015, former South Carolina poet laureate Marjory Wentworth’s poem “One River, One Boat” serves as the titular piece for her newest book. This collection of occasional poems and essays includes those written about heartbreaking and joyous times in South Carolina’s history and Wentworth’s own life including the deaths of relatives, gubernatorial inaugurations, the Mother Emmanuel AME massacre, Hurricane Hugo, and more.
Congressman James Clyburn read Wentworth’s poem “One River, One Boat” into the Congressional record in 2015 after it was pulled from Haley’s inauguration, saying he “hope[s] the people of South Carolina, across the country, and peoples around the world are as touched by her words as I have been.”
“A poet is a historian. If they are tuned in to the community around them, their words can be important documents of an era. South Carolina is a complicated and beautiful place. If you want to know the nuance of the Palmetto State, read Marjory’s poems.”—Marcus Amaker, Inaugural Poet Laureate of Charleston
Marjory Wentworth is the New York Times bestselling co-author of Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets, and the author of the prizewinning children’s story Shackles.
Celebrated for her significant contributions to literature and social justice, she served as the poet laureate of South Carolina from 2003–2020. During her tenure as poet laureate, she published 4 collections of poems and received seven Pushcart Prize nominations. She is also the co-writer with Juan Mendez of Taking a Stand: The Evolution of Human Rights and We Are Charleston: Tragedy and Triumph at Mother Emanuel, with Herb Frazier and Dr. Bernard Powers, and co-editor with Kwame Dawes of Seeking: Poetry and Prose inspired by the Art of Jonathan Green.
After receiving a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Holyoke College and a Master of Art in Writing from New York University, she moved to South Carolina in 1989, where she taught courses in writing, social justice, and banned books at The College of Charleston. For further information about the author visit her website, marjorywentworth.com

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 Marjory Wentworth, Author of One River, One Boat
2025-04-25 17:00 - 18:30 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
In honor of National Poetry Month, the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with Marjory Wentworth, past Poet Laureate of South Carolina, and author of One River, One Boat, on Friday, April 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 Author
Famously cut from Governor Nikki Haley’s inauguration in 2015, former South Carolina poet laureate Marjory Wentworth’s poem “One River, One Boat” serves as the titular piece for her newest book. This collection of occasional poems and essays includes those written about heartbreaking and joyous times in South Carolina’s history and Wentworth’s own life including the deaths of relatives, gubernatorial inaugurations, the Mother Emmanuel AME massacre, Hurricane Hugo, and more. Congressman James Clyburn read Wentworth’s poem “One River, One Boat” into the Congressional record in 2015 after it was pulled from Haley’s inauguration, saying he “hope[s] the people of South Carolina, across the country, and peoples around the world are as touched by her words as I have been.”
“A poet is a historian. If they are tuned in to the community around them, their words can be important documents of an era. South Carolina is a complicated and beautiful place. If you want to know the nuance of the Palmetto State, read Marjory’s poems.”—Marcus Amaker, Inaugural Poet Laureate of Charleston
Marjory Wentworth is the New York Times bestselling co-author of Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets, and the author of the prizewinning children’s story Shackles. Celebrated for her significant contributions to literature and social justice, she served as the poet laureate of South Carolina from 2003–2020. During her tenure as poet laureate, she published 4 collections of poems and received seven Pushcart Prize nominations. She is also the co-writer with Juan Mendez of Taking a Stand: The Evolution of Human Rights and We Are Charleston: Tragedy and Triumph at Mother Emanuel, with Herb Frazier and Dr. Bernard Powers, and co-editor with Kwame Dawes of Seeking: Poetry and Prose inspired by the Art of Jonathan Green. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Holyoke College and a Master of Art in Writing from New York University, she moved to South Carolina in 1989, where she taught courses in writing, social justice, and banned books at The College of Charleston. For further information about the author visit her website, marjorywentworth.com.
As part of her visit to Beaufort, Wentworth will also teach a writing workshop, Write Living Newspapers, on Saturday, April 26, from 10:00 to noon, limited to 15 participants. $45 each, advance registration required.https://writelivingnewspapers.eventbrite.com

Workshop: Write Living Newspapers Led by Marjory Wentworth
2025-04-26 10:00 - 12:00 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Register: Register at EventBrite
Saturday, April 26 , 2025 · 10:00 am – 12:00 noon EST
Cost: $45
Limited to 12 participants
Venue: Pat Conroy Literary Center | 601 Bladen St Beaufort, SC 29902
Write Living Newspapers
Laurence Ferlinghetti wrote, “If you would be a poet, write living newspapers.” In this workshop we will consider the ways the occasion poem is often written to document or provide commentary on an event. Sometimes it is intended to be read or performed publicly, but not necessarily. There are no specific guidelines for occasion poems, except that they mark a specific occasion or situation. The poems can be long or short, serious or humorous, formal or experimental. We will look at several occasion poems together and consider ways we too can “write living newspapers.”
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:
Marjory Wentworth is the New York Times bestselling co-author of Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets, and the author of the prizewinning children’s story Shackles.
Celebrated for her significant contributions to literature and social justice, she served as the poet laureate of South Carolina from 2003–2020. During her tenure as poet laureate, she published 4 collections of poems and received seven Pushcart Prize nominations. She is also the co-writer with Juan Mendez of Taking a Stand: The Evolution of Human Rights and We Are Charleston: Tragedy and Triumph at Mother Emanuel, with Herb Frazier and Dr. Bernard Powers, and co-editor with Kwame Dawes of Seeking: Poetry and Prose inspired by the Art of Jonathan Green.
After receiving a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Holyoke College and a Master of Art in Writing from New York University, she moved to South Carolina in 1989, where she taught courses in writing, social justice, and banned books at The College of Charleston. For further information about the author visit her website, marjorywentworth.com.

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.

Write Living Newspapers: A Poetry Workshop Led by Marjory Wentworth
2025-04-26 10:00 - 12:00 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
Laurence Ferlinghetti wrote, “If you would be a poet, write living newspapers.” In this workshop we will consider the ways the occasion poem is often written to document or provide commentary on an event. Sometimes it is intended to be read or performed publicly, but not necessarily. There are no specific guidelines for occasion poems, except that they mark a specific occasion or situation. The poems can be long or short, serious or humorous, formal or experimental. We will look at several occasion poems together and consider ways we too can “write living newspapers.”
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.
Register: https://writelivingnewspapers.eventbrite.com
About Our Instructor:
Marjory Wentworth is the New York Times bestselling co-author of Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets, and the author of the prizewinning children’s story Shackles. Celebrated for her significant contributions to literature and social justice, she served as the poet laureate of South Carolina from 2003–2020. During her tenure as poet laureate, she published 4 collections of poems and received seven Pushcart Prize nominations. She is also the co-writer with Juan Mendez of Taking a Stand: The Evolution of Human Rights and We Are Charleston: Tragedy and Triumph at Mother Emanuel, with Herb Frazier and Dr. Bernard Powers, and co-editor with Kwame Dawes of Seeking: Poetry and Prose inspired by the Art of Jonathan Green. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Holyoke College and a Master of Art in Writing from New York University, she moved to South Carolina in 1989, where she taught courses in writing, social justice, and banned books at The College of Charleston. For further information about the author visit her website, marjorywentworth.com.

Pat Conroy's Great Love of Poetry: A National Poetry Month Special Event
2025-04-29 18:00 - 19:00 | Charleston County Public Library (Main Library)
“The poets of the world occupy a place of high honor in my city of books.”—Pat Conroy, My Reading Life
In honor of National Poetry Month, join poet Tim Conroy and Pat Conroy Literary Center executive director Jonathan Haupt as they explore Pat Conroy’s lifelong relationship with poetry as a reader, as a self-described “failed poet,” and as a writer who found a creative outlet for his Great Love of poetry in his lyrical and descriptive prose. Through discussion of Pat’s teachers, mentors, and favorite poets, and through published and unpublished writings spanning the breadth of his life, this free public program fosters a new appreciation for Conroy’s admiration of poetry, his dedication to the writing craft, and the myriad ways in which poetry shines through his storied prose.
This free literary program will be held at the Charleston County Main Library at 68 Calhoun St. in historic downtown Charleston on Tuesday, April 29, at 6:00-7:00 p.m.
About the Presenters
Tim Conroy, the author of the collections Theologies of Terrain and No True Route, is a poet and retired educator. His work has appeared in Fall Lines, Blue Mountain Review, Jasper Magazine, Marked by the Water, Sheltered, Twelve Mile Review, Poetry on the Comet, The Post and Courier, Ukweli: Searching for Healing Truth, DWG Anthology, and Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy. In 2022, he received the Broad River Prize for prose from Fall Lines, Volume IX. A founding board member of the Pat Conroy Literary Center established in his brother’s honor, Tim lives in the Lowcountry with his wife Terrye.
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. 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.

An Evening with Eat It & Like It Host Jesse Blanco, Author of Charleston Food Crawls
2025-05-01 17:00 - 18:30 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening of with Eat It and Like It co-founder and host Jesse Blanco, author of Charleston Food Crawls on Thursday, May 1, 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 to reserve in advance: 843-379-7025.
About Jesse Blanco and Charleston Food Crawls
Charleston Food Crawls is an exciting culinary tour through the largest city in South Carolina. Taste the city’s culinary history through its top-notch neighborhood restaurants and bars. Hit the Upper Peninsula for a day of breweries and barbeque galore. Just in town for the weekend? Take a stroll through King Street for quick bites and crafty sips. Experience where southern comfort food and zesty libations collide and dig into Charleston one dish at a time.
Jesse Blanco is, without question, one of Savannah’s most recognizable personalities. His laid-back style and ability to connect with viewers and readers remain his calling card following a 24-year career in television news. During his 5 years as primary news anchor at the local FOX affiliate, Jesse always found creative ways to connect with his audience. That talent extended to his weekly column in the Savannah Morning News, which very quickly became one of the paper’s most popular features from 2012 to 2018.
In 2010, Jesse and his business partner created a blog and later a television show dedicated to the underappreciated side of Savannah’s food scene. Four years later, Savannah’s food scene exploded and Eat It and Like It found itself sitting in the front row to witness it all. Since 2014 he’s been the Savannah area’s only full-time food writer. Jesse is now the author of author of Savannah Food Crawls and Charleston Food Crawls.
Jesse was born in California but calls Miami his hometown. Having been raised in a very large Cuban-American family where the genetic makeup consists of food, music, dancing, laughing, and friendship. Throw in an insatiable desire to travel and explore and you get someone who is only happy learning or trying new things. Jesse is married with one child.

Monthly Teddy Bear Picnic Read-Aloud with DAYLO
2025-05-03 09:30 - 12:00, 2025-06-07 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 May 2025
2025-05-03 09:30 - 12:00 | Port Royal Farmers Market, 1615 Ribault Rd, Port Royal, SC, 29935, United States
Saturday May 3, 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.

May 2025 Virtual Open Mic Night
2025-05-08 18:00 - 19:30 | Online – Facebook Live
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, May 8, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured presenter is fiction writer James Alan Gill, author of the story collection Not Dark Yet. Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres.
When: Thursday, May 8, 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:
James Alan Gill was raised in a town with no stoplights by a family of coal miners, then attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale where he earned degrees in History and Creative Writing.
His work has appeared in numerous publications, including Colorado Review, Crab Orchard Review, The Common, Sou’wester, The Laurel Review, Midwestern Gothic, Fried Chicken and Coffee, Atticus Review, Book of Matches, and Prime Number Magazine. He has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and is a seven-time winner of the JD Supra Reader’s Choice Award for his writing in the legal technology industry. He currently lives with his wife, Brittany, in Minneapolis.
“Not Dark Yet unfurls like a fantastic roll of film capturing the hidden pockets of wonder in the lives of the denizens of James Alan Gill’s Illinois town of Matin. People fall in and out of love, race cars, make friends, make tracks, as ordinary lives reveal the extraordinary, all the while wrestling with the fundamental question, Can you really live the life you want and still please the people who love you?”—Whitney Otto, New York Times Bestselling Author of How to Make an American Quilt and Eight Girls Taking Pictures.
“Gill writes, with grace and humor and pain, about small-town life. This evocative chronicle of plain lives in crisis belongs on the same shelf as the stories of Bobbie Ann Mason and Raymond Carver. Poignant and powerful.”—Benjamin Percy, author of The Ninth Metal, Red Moon, and Thrill Me.

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 James Alan Gill, Author of Not Dark Yet
2025-05-08 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 presented as a virtual event, live-streamed to our Facebook page, on Thursday, May 8, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured presenter is fiction writer James Alan Gill, author of the story collection Not Dark Yet. 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:
James Alan Gill was raised in a town with no stoplights by a family of coal miners, then attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale where he earned degrees in History and Creative Writing. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including Colorado Review, Crab Orchard Review, The Common, Sou’wester, The Laurel Review, Midwestern Gothic, Fried Chicken and Coffee, Atticus Review, Book of Matches, and Prime Number Magazine. He has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and is a seven-time winner of the JD Supra Reader’s Choice Award for his writing in the legal technology industry. He currently lives with his wife, Brittany, in Minneapolis.
“Not Dark Yet unfurls like a fantastic roll of film capturing the hidden pockets of wonder in the lives of the denizens of James Alan Gill’s Illinois town of Matin. People fall in and out of love, race cars, make friends, make tracks, as ordinary lives reveal the extraordinary, all the while wrestling with the fundamental question, Can you really live the life you want and still please the people who love you?”—Whitney Otto, New York Times Bestselling Author of How to Make an American Quilt and Eight Girls Taking Pictures.
“Gill writes, with grace and humor and pain, about small-town life. This evocative chronicle of plain lives in crisis belongs on the same shelf as the stories of Bobbie Ann Mason and Raymond Carver. Poignant and powerful.”—Benjamin Percy, author of The Ninth Metal, Red Moon, and Thrill Me

Beaufort Launch for Ahead of Her Time, by Nancy Thode
2025-05-17 17:00 - 19:00 | 711 Bladen St, Beaufort, SC 29902-4968, United States
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center is proud to host the Beaufort launch event for Ahead of Her Time: The Trailblazing Life and Literary Legacy of Ann Head, the highly anticipated new biography written by Head’s firstborn daughter Nancy Thode and published by Evening Post Books. This special event will be held in partnership with DAYLO: the Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization and the Beaufort County Historical Society.
Join us on Saturday, May 17, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at 711 Bladen Street (BCBCC, ground floor). Free and open to the public; advance registration is required by May 16 at https://aheadofhertimebeaufortlaunch.eventbrite.com
At 5:30 p.m., the launch event’s program will feature author Nancy Thode in conversation with Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt and youth artivist Millie Bennett. The newest winner of the Ann Head Literary Prize for Short Story Fiction will also be recognized. A wine reception with catering by Magnolia Café will accompany the evening’s book signing, with copies of Ahead of Her Time available for sale and signing, with proceeds benefiting the nonprofit Conroy Center’s year-round educational mission.
ABOUT THE BOOK
A blue blood and a bohemian, author Ann Head was an essential voice of mid-century fiction, known for challenging societal norms and amplifying women’s struggles in an era that often silenced them. Now, for the first time, her mysterious personal life is unveiled through the lens of her eldest daughter, Nancy Thode. Through meticulous archival work and transcriptions of Head’s journals, Thode offers an intimate portrait of a writer whose life and fiction were deeply intertwined – one who influenced a generation of writers, including her student, the acclaimed Pat Conroy, who noted in his autobiography that “every time I sell a book, I put a rose on her grave.”
More than just a biography, this book is a celebration of Ann Head’s enduring legacy. Featuring a selection of her published stories, it invites readers to experience her boundary-pushing prose firsthand. It also includes never-before-seen letters from a young Pat Conroy, whose early poems and admiration for Head reveal her lasting impact on one of the South’s most celebrated literary voices. Perfect for longtime fans and new readers alike, this book is essential reading for anyone drawn to revolutionary women, literary history, and the inescapable connection between life and art.
“Ahead of Her Time, a highly readable biography of prolific and successful writer Ann Head, offers up a rich chronicle of experiences… This is a rare book you’ll want to share!”—Cassandra King, winner of the 2025 Harper Lee Award and bestselling author of Tell Me A Story: My Life with Pat Conroy
“Phenomenal is too small a word to fully capture what a gift this biography of Ann Head is for readers of women’s fiction, aficionados of Lowcountry lore, and devoted fans of Head’s beloved protégé Pat Conroy… Ahead of Her Time is destined to be read often, shared widely, and savored from the first page to the last.”—Jonathan Haupt, co-editor of Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy
“Nancy Thode has written a poignant and important biography of her mother, 20th century Beaufort author Ann Head. It is not only a portrait of a creative and beleaguered woman but also a revealing description of mid-twentieth century Beaufort….”—Larry Rowland, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, USC Beaufort
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A native of Beaufort, Nancy Head Thode is a graduate of Ashley Hall School, Towson State University, and the University of Maryland School of Social Work. An early advocate for family mediation, she was a founding board member of the Academy of Family Mediators and continues her work today as a practicing family psychotherapist. Later in life, she discovered a passion for community theater, starring in several productions and writing and producing one-woman shows. A strong believer in the power of fellowship, she now chairs the Gatherings Committee at Christ Church Greenwich in Connecticut.
In 2020, Nancy established the Ann Head Literary Award for Short Story Fiction at Beaufort High School, where her mother, Ann Head, once taught and mentored a young Pat Conroy. The mother of two and grandmother of five, Nancy currently divides her time between Stamford, Connecticut, and Fripp Island. Ahead of Her Time is her first book.
ABOUT THE INTERVIEWERS
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, a co-leader of the South Carolina chapter of Authors Against Book Bans, and a co-mentor to the student leaders of DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization.
Millie Bennett is a past intern of the Pat Conroy Literary Center and a past president of the Beaufort High School chapter of DAYLO. She is one of the student advocates highlighted in the feature-length documentary film Banned Together. A rising junior in the College of Charleston, Millie is majoring in studio arts and minoring in creative writing and Women’s and Gender Studies. She has also served a guest book reviewer for the Charleston Post and Courier and she provided editorial assistance for the stories by Ann Head reprinted in Ahead of Her Time.

Silent Book Club Beaufort
2025-05-24 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 hold its next meetup on Saturday, May 24, 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 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 via the SBCB Instagram page at www.instagram.com/silentbookclubbeaufort.

An Afternoon with Annelore Harrell, author of Et Cetera Y’all
2025-05-31 14:00 - 15:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Saturday, May 31, 2025 – 2:00-3:30 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 afternoon with Annelore Harrell, author of Et Cetera Y’all, Volume 1, on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at 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. Seating is limited; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025.
About the Book and Author
“Step into the enchanting world of Annelore Harrell and the coastal Lowcountry I love so dearly. With twenty-four years of remarkable newspaper columns, this collection is a treasure chest of insight, immersive experiences, and wisdom. From past to present, Annelore Harrell brings us on a journey to meet the forgotten heroes, see the locales of her experience, and encounter the allure of southern hospitality. A captivating storyteller with a keen and wise eye, Annelore Harrell’s prose transports us to the soul of the south.”–Patti Callahan Henry, bestselling author
Get inspired by the extraordinary Annelore Harrell, who brings her unique voice and vibrant storytelling to life in Et Cetera Y’all, Volume 1. This delightful collection, released in October 2024, showcases her charming and insightful newspaper columns from her inaugural year.
Annelore Harrell’s journey is a tapestry woven with fascinating experiences and extraordinary accomplishments. Born in 1932 in Savannah, Georgia, Annelore began visiting Myrtle Island in Bluffton with her family in 1942, joining the ranks of the “summer people” who traveled from Savannah. Despite bullying at school in 1937, which led her to stop speaking her first language, German, Annelore’s resilience shone through.
By age 12, Annelore was confidently driving a car, a skill she still retains with a careful eye on the rearview mirror. Her remarkable journey continued with her presidency of the world’s largest Officer’s Wives Club at Ft. Bragg, NC, in 1970. In 1974, she captivated audiences with her portrayal of Eleanor of Aquitaine in “Lion in Winter” in Stuttgart.
Transitioning into real estate in the mid-to-late ’70s, Annelore founded Annelore Harrell Realty, further cementing her legacy. In 1981, she moved to her retirement home on Myrtle Island, but retirement was merely a new chapter for her.
In the early ’80s, she taught her daughter, Tamela Pinckney, and other young mothers the art of bridge. From 1995 to 1998, Annelore hosted a weekly, live, one-hour show on the Bluffton Broadcasting Channel, “BBC.” Her voice resonated with the community for nearly 25 years as a weekly columnist for the Bluffton newspaper, Carolina Morning News, later known as The Bluffton Today. Her outstanding work earned 1st Place in her category for Best Column from the SC Press Association.
In 2017, Mayor Lisa Sulka celebrated Annelore’s contributions by recognizing her 1,000th newspaper column and declaring June 23rd as “Lala Day,” a nickname her grandchildren gave her. She was further honored in 2021 when she served as the Grand Marshal of the Bluffton Christmas Parade.
Annelore’s eclectic tastes in reading and music reflect her adventurous spirit. She enjoys various genres, from rock and classical to blues, bluegrass, indie, alternative, R&B, and Gregorian chants. Known for her unforgettable parties and fashion-forward style, she was rocking men’s ties long before it became a trend.
Even at 92 in 2025, Annelore’s energy and zest for life continue to inspire. Kathy L. Murphy of Big Book Love (formerly Pulpwood Queens Book Club) honored her work by naming Et Cetera Y’all, Volume 1, the Bonus Book of the Month for December 2025.
Annelore Harrell’s story is a testament to living with passion, resilience, and an unquenchable thirst for adventure.

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 Afternoon with Annelore Harrell, Author of Et Cetera Y'All, Volume 1
2025-05-31 14:00 - 15:30 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an afternoon with Annelore Harrell, author of Et Cetera Y’all, Volume 1, on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at 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. Seating is limited; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025.
About the Book And Author
“Step into the enchanting world of Annelore Harrell and the coastal Lowcountry I love so dearly. With twenty-four years of remarkable newspaper columns, this collection is a treasure chest of insight, immersive experiences, and wisdom. From past to present, Annelore Harrell brings us on a journey to meet the forgotten heroes, see the locales of her experience, and encounter the allure of southern hospitality. A captivating storyteller with a keen and wise eye, Annelore Harrell’s prose transports us to the soul of the south.”–Patti Callahan Henry, bestselling author
Get inspired by the extraordinary Annelore Harrell, who brings her unique voice and vibrant storytelling to life in Et Cetera Y’all, Volume 1. This delightful collection, released in October 2024, showcases her charming and insightful newspaper columns from her inaugural year.
Annelore Harrell’s journey is a tapestry woven with fascinating experiences and extraordinary accomplishments. Born in 1932 in Savannah, Georgia, Annelore began visiting Myrtle Island in Bluffton with her family in 1942, joining the ranks of the “summer people” who traveled from Savannah. Despite bullying at school in 1937, which led her to stop speaking her first language, German, Annelore’s resilience shone through.
By age 12, Annelore was confidently driving a car, a skill she still retains with a careful eye on the rearview mirror. Her remarkable journey continued with her presidency of the world’s largest Officer’s Wives Club at Ft. Bragg, NC, in 1970. In 1974, she captivated audiences with her portrayal of Eleanor of Aquitaine in “Lion in Winter” in Stuttgart.
Transitioning into real estate in the mid-to-late ’70s, Annelore founded Annelore Harrell Realty, further cementing her legacy. In 1981, she moved to her retirement home on Myrtle Island, but retirement was merely a new chapter for her.
In the early ’80s, she taught her daughter, Tamela Pinckney, and other young mothers the art of bridge. From 1995 to 1998, Annelore hosted a weekly, live, one-hour show on the Bluffton Broadcasting Channel, “BBC.” Her voice resonated with the community for nearly 25 years as a weekly columnist for the Bluffton newspaper, Carolina Morning News, later known as The Bluffton Today. Her outstanding work earned 1st Place in her category for Best Column from the SC Press Association.
In 2017, Mayor Lisa Sulka celebrated Annelore’s contributions by recognizing her 1,000th newspaper column and declaring June 23rd as “Lala Day,” a nickname her grandchildren gave her. She was further honored in 2021 when she served as the Grand Marshal of the Bluffton Christmas Parade.
Annelore’s eclectic tastes in reading and music reflect her adventurous spirit. She enjoys various genres, from rock and classical to blues, bluegrass, indie, alternative, R&B, and Gregorian chants. Known for her unforgettable parties and fashion-forward style, she was rocking men’s ties long before it became a trend.
Even at 92 in 2025, Annelore’s energy and zest for life continue to inspire. Kathy L. Murphy of Big Book Love (formerly Pulpwood Queens Book Club) honored her work by naming Et Cetera Y’all, Volume 1, the Bonus Book of the Month for December 2025.
Annelore Harrell’s story is a testament to living with passion, resilience, and an unquenchable thirst for adventure.

An Evening with Julia Elliott, Author of Hellions
2025-06-05 17:00 - 18:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, in partnership with NeverMore Books, will host an evening with acclaimed fiction writer Julia Elliott, author of the newly published story collection Hellions—named a TIME Best Book of the Month and a Lit Hub Most Anticipated Book of the Year—on Thursday, June 5, at 5:00 p.m., at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort). Elliott will be in conversation with Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt and DAYLO student leader E Achurch. Free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing through NeverMore Books. Seating is limited; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025.
ABOUT THE BOOK
From the acclaimed author of The Wilds comes an electric story collection that blends folklore, fairy tales, Southern Gothic, and horror, reveling in the collision of the familiar with the wildly surreal.
In a plague-stricken medieval convent, a nun works on a forbidden mystic manuscript, pining for Christ’s love. During a long, muggy July in rural South Carolina, an adolescent girl finds unexpected power as her family obsesses over the horror film The Exorcist. On the outskirts of a Southern college town, a young woman resists the tyranny of a shape-shifting older professor as she develops her own sorceress skills. And at a feminist art colony in the North Carolina mountains, a group of mothers contends with the supernatural talents their children have picked up from a pair of mysterious orphans who live in the woods.
With exuberance, ferocity, and astounding imagination, Julia Elliott’s Hellions jumps from the occult to the comic, from the horrific to the wondrous, presenting earthbound characters who long for the otherworldly.
“Intoxicating, fantasy-tinged. . . . Elliott’s rich and magical landscape will pull readers in.”―Publishers Weekly
“Bewitching. . . . Gothic, atmospheric, and filled with the lavish symbolism contained in the natural world.”―Booklist
“A genius at the short-story form, Julia Elliott achieves new highs with the astonishing Hellions. Beautiful, visceral, surprising stories, both wild and dangerous, with a Southern twang but universal appeal…. One of my favorite collections of the past few years.”―Jeff VanderMeer, author of Absolution
“Julia Elliott’s fiction is its own country. Every sentence drips and unsettles, every character lusts and schemes, every landscape is alien and forbidding. But there is something eerily familiar pulsing underneath the wildness―the way your waking life snakes through the logic of your dreams. I am obsessed with these lush, feral stories.”―Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other Parties
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julia Elliott is the author of the story collection The Wilds, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, and the novel The New and Improved Romie Futch (both from Tin House). Her work has appeared in The Georgia Review, Tin House, Conjunctions, and the New York Times. She has won a Rona Jaffe Writers’ Award, and her stories have been anthologized in Best American Short Stories and Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses. She teaches English and Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of South Carolina and lives in Columbia with her husband, daughter, and five hens.
ABOUT THE INTERVIEWERS
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 Charleston Post and Courier and a mentor to the student leaders of DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization.
E Achurch is sophomore at the Complete Student, where she is founding president of her school’s chapter of DAYLO: The Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization. She is a counselor for the Conroy Center’s Camp Conroy summer writing and art program and a past participant in the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities summer creative writing program.

Teddy Bear Picnic Read Aloud with Daylo June 2025
2025-06-07 09:30 - 12:00 | Port Royal Farmers Market, 1615 Ribault Rd, Port Royal, SC, 29935, United States
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.).

Free

Camp Conroy: 2025 Summer Camp for Young Writers & Artists ages 9 to 12
2025-06-09 08:00 - 17:00 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Robert Smalls Leadership Academy 43 W. K. Alston Drive, Beaufort, SC, United States

Camp Conroy is now TWO one-week day camps for young writers and artists. Camp#1 for campers ages 9 to 12 will be held on June 9 to 13 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Camp#2 for campers ages 13 to 16 will be held on June 23 to 27 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) Hosted by the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, both camps will be held at Robert Smalls Leadership Academy in Beaufort, SC.

$250

Camp Conroy 2025 (Camp #1)
2025-06-09 20:30 - 2025-06-13 15:30 | Robert Smalls Leadership Academy
Camp Conroy is now TWO one-week day camps for young writers and artists. Camp#1 for campers ages 9 to 12 will be held on June 9 to 13 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). Camp#2 for campers ages 13 to 16 will be held on June 23 to 27 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) Hosted by the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, both camps will be held at Robert Smalls Leadership Academy in Beaufort, SC.
Registration: https://campconroy2025.eventbrite.com
This year’s camp theme, Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors, honors the work of Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, who developed her metaphor as a way of describing how books can help readers to see themselves, see others, and enter into new experiences and understanding.
During each of the two camps, we will be building a book together by creating–individually and collaboratively–the writing and art that we will publish together in our anthology, then critiquing, editing, and designing our work in preparation for publication. Although our two age groups are divided into separate weeks, they will be contributing to a special collaborative project together as well.
Campers can explore a range of writing genres, from poetry to short stories to micro-memoirs; as well as multiple forms of self-expression in the visual arts, including drawing, painting, and photography. They will be guided through their creative endeavors by Camp Conroy’s talented counselors, full-time adult instructors, and special guest presenters and instructors. A final reading and presentation of camper creations will conclude the experience, and campers will each receive a copy of the camp anthology on publication later this summer.
Camp Conroy invites diversity and inclusivity among our campers with respect to race, religion, ability, and all other aspects of identity. Scholarships are available to assist campers who might not otherwise be able to take part in this experience.
The $250 registration fee for Camp Conroy includes one week of instruction, camp activities, and healthy daily snacks. Students must bring their own lunches and drinks each day. (This is a day camp; overnight lodging and meals are not included.) After the camp, participants will each receive a copy of their published anthology. Registration closes on May 20.
In the 2004 Pat Conroy Cookbook, Pat describes his “Bill Dufford Summer” spent between his junior and senior years on the campus of Beaufort High School (what is now Beaufort Middle School, the site of last year’s Camp Conroy). It was a transformative summer for Pat and for his principal, mentor, and surrogate father figure, Bill Dufford. As Pat writes at the end of his recollection, “I had everything—the best summer of my life.” That has been and remains the goal of our Camp Conroy, to give our campers the best summers of their lives. We hope you will join us this year.
Scholarships: A limited number of full and partial scholarships are available. To apply, interested students should submit a sample of their work (story, essay, poem, artwork, or photography) with a brief letter about their interest in the Camp Conroy experience by May 22, to the Pat Conroy Literary Center, Attention: Camp Conroy, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC 29902. Please specify the age of the camper so we know which of the two weeks you are applying for. Scholarship recipients will be contacted in early June.
Sponsorships: We welcome your tax-deductible donations to the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center to sponsor a Camper, a Camp Counselor, a Camp Instructor, or a Guest Presenter. Scholarships for Campers make it possible for young writers and artists to participate in this experience who might not otherwise have the opportunity. Sponsorships of Camp Counselors, Camp Instructors, and Guest Presenters benefit all of our Campers. For details: https://campconroy2025.eventbrite.com

June 2025 Open Mic Night
2025-06-12 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, June 12, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. For National Poetry Month, Open Mic Night will feature local novelist Doris E. Wright, author of Cabbagehead. Open Mic will also include short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres.
When: Thursday, June 12, 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:
Doris E. Wright is an award-winning author whose fiction and nonfiction stories have been published in several anthologies. She is a mother, grandmother, wife, artist and writer. Always curious about what’s beyond the next bend, she has ridden camels in Timbuktu, done tai chi in Xi’an, and walked the veld in Kwazulu-Natal. To facilitate her and her husband’s love of travel, especially on the cheap, they have pet sat dogs, cats, tarantulas, rats, a tortoise, and both normal and unusual plants in the U.S., France, Ireland, and the U.K.
“Cabbagehead by Doris E. Wright will have you wondering if plants have a life, and if they can intervene in our lives in ways we’ve not yet fathomed. Readers will love Wright’s deft skill with words, her ability to move the story along, and her ability to keep us in suspense. Dry wit, the suspense over the next revelation in the vegetable dilemma, and Wright’s other writerly gifts will keep you reading. It’s a story for anyone who’s experienced family estrangement or lost themselves in nature anywhere.”–Estelle Ford-Williamson, author of Rising Fawn

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 Doris E. Wright, Author of Cabbagehead
2025-06-12 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, June 12, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Open Mic Night will feature local novelist Doris E. Wright, author of Cabbagehead. Open Mic will also include 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
Doris E. Wright is an award-winning author whose fiction and nonfiction stories have been published in several anthologies. She is a mother, grandmother, wife, artist and writer. Always curious about what’s beyond the next bend, she has ridden camels in Timbuktu, done tai chi in Xi’an, and walked the veld in Kwazulu-Natal. To facilitate her and her husband’s love of travel, especially on the cheap, they have pet sat dogs, cats, tarantulas, rats, a tortoise, and both normal and unusual plants in the U.S., France, Ireland, and the U.K.
“Cabbagehead by Doris E. Wright will have you wondering if plants have a life, and if they can intervene in our lives in ways we’ve not yet fathomed. Readers will love Wright’s deft skill with words, her ability to move the story along, and her ability to keep us in suspense. Dry wit, the suspense over the next revelation in the vegetable dilemma, and Wright’s other writerly gifts will keep you reading. It’s a story for anyone who’s experienced family estrangement or lost themselves in nature anywhere.”–Estelle Ford-Williamson, author of Rising Fawn

Silent Book Club Beaufort
2025-06-21 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 hold its next meetup on Saturday, June 21, 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 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 via the SBCB Instagram page at www.instagram.com/silentbookclubbeaufort.

Camp Conroy: 2025 Summer Camp for Young Writers & Artists ages 13 to 16
2025-06-23 - 2025-06-25 | Robert Smalls Leadership Academy, 43 W. K. Alston Drive, Beaufort, 29906, United States
REGISTRATION: Eventbrite
Camp Conroy is now TWO one-week day camps for young writers and artists. Camp#1 for campers ages 9 to 12 will be held on June 9 to 13 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). Camp#2 for campers ages 13 to 16 will be held on June 23 to 27 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) Hosted by the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, both camps will be held at Robert Smalls Leadership Academy in Beaufort, SC.
This year’s camp theme, Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors, honors the work of Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, who developed her metaphor as a way of describing how books can help readers to see themselves, see others, and enter into new experiences and understanding.
During each of the two camps, we will be building a book together by creating–individually and collaboratively–the writing and art that we will publish together in our anthology, then critiquing, editing, and designing our work in preparation for publication. Although our two age groups are divided into separate weeks, they will be contributing to a special collaborative project together as well.
Campers can explore a range of writing genres, from poetry to short stories to micro-memoirs; as well as multiple forms of self-expression in the visual arts, including drawing, painting, and photography. They will be guided through their creative endeavors by Camp Conroy’s talented counselors, full-time adult instructors, and special guest presenters and instructors. A final reading and presentation of camper creations will conclude the experience, and campers will each receive a copy of the camp anthology on publication later this summer.
Camp Conroy invites diversity and inclusivity among our campers with respect to race, religion, ability, and all other aspects of identity. Scholarships are available to assist campers who might not otherwise be able to take part in this experience.
The $250 registration fee for Camp Conroy includes one week of instruction, camp activities, and healthy daily snacks. Students must bring their own lunches and drinks each day. (This is a day camp; overnight lodging and meals are not included.) After the camp, participants will each receive a copy of their published anthology. Registration closes on May 20.
In the 2004 Pat Conroy Cookbook, Pat describes his “Bill Dufford Summer” spent between his junior and senior years on the campus of Beaufort High School (what is now Beaufort Middle School, the site of last year’s Camp Conroy). It was a transformative summer for Pat and for his principal, mentor, and surrogate father figure, Bill Dufford. As Pat writes at the end of his recollection, “I had everything—the best summer of my life.” That has been and remains the goal of our Camp Conroy, to give our campers the best summers of their lives. We hope you will join us this year.
Scholarships: A limited number of full and partial scholarships are available. To apply, interested students should submit a sample of their work (story, essay, poem, artwork, or photography) with a brief letter about their interest in the Camp Conroy experience by May 10, to the Pat Conroy Literary Center, Attention: Camp Conroy, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC 29902. Please specify the age of the camper so we know which of the two weeks you are applying for. Scholarship recipients will be contacted in early June.
Sponsorships: We welcome your tax-deductible donations to the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center to sponsor a Camper, a Camp Counselor, a Camp Instructor, or a Guest Presenter. Scholarships for Campers make it possible for young writers and artists to participate in this experience who might not otherwise have the opportunity. Sponsorships of Camp Counselors, Camp Instructors, and Guest Presenters benefit all of our Campers.
Facebook Page
