BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Pat Conroy Literary Center - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Pat Conroy Literary Center X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Pat Conroy Literary Center REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251113T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251113T193000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260302T154518Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184512Z UID:10001211-1763056800-1763062200@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Virtual Open Mic Night -- Featuring Devreaux Baker\, Willie Morris Award for Southern Poetry Winner DESCRIPTION:The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be presented as a virtual event\, live-streamed to our Facebook page\, on Thursday\, November 13\, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured presenter is poet Devreaux Baker\, winner of the 2025 Willie Morris Award for Southern Poetry. Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres\, with host Melissa Whiteford St. Clair. \nInterested in reading as part of virtual Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org. \nAbout Our Featured Author:\nDevreaux Baker is a poet who lives on the Mendocino Coast in Northern California. Her awards include the 2025 Willie Morris Award for Southern Poetry; 2024 Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Prize\, from the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation; 2022 Fischer International Poetry Prize; 2019 Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Prize; 2017 Joe Gouveia Outermost National Poetry Prize; the 2014 Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Prize; the 2012 Hawaii Council on Humanities International Poetry Prize; the 2011 PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Poetry Award; and the 2010 Women’s Global Leadership Poetry Prize. She is a Fellow at the Macdowell Colony\, the Hawthornden Castle\, and the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation. Her published books of poetry include Hungry Ghosts\, out of the bones of earth\, Red Willow People\, Beyond the Circumstance of Sight\, and LIGHT AT THE EDGE. She is the first Poet Laureate of Mendocino County. \n“Devreaux Baker’s contemplation of the blues and its artists is beautifully achieved in her poem ‘Blue Requiem\,’…Her readers are reminded of history and the many voices in its chorus.”–Susan Kinsolving\, judge\, Willie Morris Award for Southern Poetry \n“A deep wisdom runs throughout Devreaux Baker’s work–a reminder that we are not merely connected to nature\, but that we are part of nature itself.”–Katherine Hastings\, USA Today bestselling author URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/virtual-open-mic-night-featuring-devreaux-baker-willie-morris-award-for-southern-poetry-winner/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/22852_image_523881043_1163596459135160_2667178642553907860_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T163000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T183000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134523Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184513Z UID:10001372-1760200200-1760207400@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Book Club Beaufort DESCRIPTION:Silent Book Club Beaufort\, a unique take on the traditional book club\, will meet on Saturday\, October 11\, from 4:30 to 6:30PM at the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.). A relaxed and pressure-free space for readers of all types\, this community gathering invites book lovers to enjoy their current reads in a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is co-sponsored by the Conroy Center and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization). \nUnlike traditional book clubs\, Silent Book Club Beaufort has no assigned reading\, no deadlines\, and no discussions required. Whether you prefer ebooks\, audiobooks\, comic books\, textbooks\, or paperbacks\, readers are invited to bring their book of choice\, settle in\, and savor the joy of uninterrupted reading among like-minded individuals. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort also features a book swap: Leave a book\, take a book. \nThe casual meetups provide an excellent opportunity to discover new book recommendations\, make friends\, and reconnect with the love of reading. Whether you’re a lifelong bookworm or just getting back into reading\, everyone is welcome. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is free to attend and proudly supports local businesses and organizations. Additional dates and locations will be announced via the SBCB Instagram page at www.instagram.com/silentbookclubbeaufort. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/silent-book-club-beaufort-2/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/22936_image_540120893_1192635656231240_6968760084746909046_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251011T160000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134523Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184513Z UID:10001373-1760191200-1760198400@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Let Freedom Read Day at Witness Tree Park DESCRIPTION:“Here is all I ask of a book- give me everything. Everything\, and don’t leave out a single word.”—Pat Conroy\, My Reading Life \nUpdate: Due to weather\, this event will be held inside the Conroy Center. \nOn Let Freedom Read Day\, Saturday\, October 11\, the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center\, the South Carolina chapter of Authors Against Book Bans\, and the DAYLO student book club will host a reading at Witness Tree Park from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Honoring the final day of Banned Books Week\, this special event will feature brief readings by local writers and students from frequently challenged and banned books as well as works about pro-literacy advocacy\, and original works responding to censorship and erasures. Scheduled to appear: novelist Rebecca Dwight Bruff\, poet Tim Conroy\, essayist Jonathan Haupt\, poet Miho Kinnas\, memoirist Carol Lucas\, poet Susan Madison\, poet Jacquelyn Markham\, novelist Valerie Sayers\, and DAYLO. \nWitness Tree Park is located across King Street from the Conroy Center’s location at 601 Bladen Street in Beaufort. The Center and DAYLO will also host the monthly Silent Book Club Beaufort meet-up that same afternoon\, afterwards from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/let-freedom-read-day-at-witness-tree-park/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/23125_image_557890436_1221160563378749_6093986238830751236_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251009T193000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134523Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184513Z UID:10001374-1760032800-1760038200@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Open Mic Night--Featuring Debut Novelist Mary J. Nestor\, Author of Bus No. 7 DESCRIPTION:The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be held at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) on Thursday\, October 9\, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured novelist will be Mary J. Nestor\, author of Bus No. 7. Open Mic will also include short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres. \nInterested in reading as part of Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org. \nAbout Our Featured Author\nMary J. Nestor attended Marquette University in Wisconsin\, and has a bachelor of Business Administration from Washington Adventist University. She has previously published a children’s book\, Emily’s Best Birthday Party Ever! Her career as a manager\, consultant\, and human resources director inspired her second book\, Say It Now! Say It Right! How to Handle Tough and Tender Conversations. Nestor enrolled in a writer’s conference in 2016\, resulting in Bus No. 7\, a finalist in the Novel-In-Progress category of the 2022 William Faulkner Literary Competition.\nNestor lives on Hilton Head Island\, where she also sings with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra Chorus and the Hilton Head Choral Society. \n“Mary Nestor’s debut novel introduces a collection of unsavory and dangerous characters that sweep the reader into a dark landscape of crime and addiction where even the savvy detective has to play catch-up. Bus No. 7 has readers wondering—what awaits when they turn the next page?”—Karen Dove Barr\, author of Burnt Pot Island \n“Bus No. 7 is an action-packed ride filled with high-voltage suspense and characters who aren’t always what they seem. The twists and turns in this edgy thriller had me riveted past my bedtime. Mary J. Nestor is a masterful storyteller\, and I hope she’s writing a sequel.”—Helen P. Bradley\, author of Breach of Trust URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/open-mic-night-featuring-debut-novelist-mary-j-nestor-author-of-bus-no-7/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/22928_image_532081652_1180248170803322_714861949318091674_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250925T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250925T160000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134524Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184514Z UID:10001379-1758808800-1758816000@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:How to Create Suspense: Writers Workshop Led by Melinda Farris DESCRIPTION:How to Create Suspense: 5 Unforgettable Cliffhanger-Ending Techniques \nHow do you keep the reader reading when the average adult’s attention span is 8.25 seconds? Cliffhangers are a technique used by genre writers (who sometimes get a bad rap) to keep their readers reading. And isn’t that what we all aspire to\, above everything? Because cliffhangers are sometimes associated with schlocky writing\, that doesn’t mean we should ignore their usefulness as a craft tool in all sorts of writing. We’ll look at five chapter-ending cliffhanger techniques with examples you can use in your own writing. \nEndorsement: “Melinda prepared an absolutely top-notch seminar about the craft of chapter-ending cliffhangers—a topic I’ve never encountered anyone else teaching about\, and for which she devised an entirely original taxonomy of cliffhanger types that is worthy of publication. I can’t think of a more precise\, better organized\, better supported craft seminar I’ve overseen in my twenty years at Lesley University.”–Michael Lowenthal\, author of Charity Girl \nLocation and Cost: This is an in-person writers workshop\, held at the Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St\, Beaufort). Limited to 15 participants with advance registration required; $45/person. https://howtocreatesuspense.eventbrite.com \nAbout Our Instructor: \nMelinda Farris‘ first career was as a Washington\, DC\, political operative and international democracy consultant. She worked on Capitol Hill\, advised Cabinet nominees on a Presidential transition team\, and coached democratic forces in Russia\, Zimbabwe\, and Afghanistan. Excerpts from her unpublished first novel\, The Fourth Degree\, have been described as The Da Vinci Code meets National Treasure and received awards from the Southeastern Writers Association\, Writer’s Digest\, and The Seven Hills Literary Review. Melinda started the St Simons Island Writers Group two years ago\, which includes critique groups and networking opportunities for local writers. In two years\, the membership has doubled. She graduated in 2023 with an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University. https://www.melindafarrisauthor.com/ URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/how-to-create-suspense-writers-workshop-led-by-melinda-farris/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/22866_image_522717306_1162265285934944_1878151853396575580_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250913T163000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250913T183000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134524Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184514Z UID:10001383-1757781000-1757788200@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Book Club Beaufort DESCRIPTION:Silent Book Club Beaufort\, a unique take on the traditional book club\, will meet on Saturday\, September 13\, from 4:30 to 6:30PM at the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.). A relaxed and pressure-free space for readers of all types\, this community gathering invites book lovers to enjoy their current reads in a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is co-sponsored by the Conroy Center and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization). \nUnlike traditional book clubs\, Silent Book Club Beaufort has no assigned reading\, no deadlines\, and no discussions required. Whether you prefer ebooks\, audiobooks\, comic books\, textbooks\, or paperbacks\, readers are invited to bring their book of choice\, settle in\, and savor the joy of uninterrupted reading among like-minded individuals. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort also features a book swap: Leave a book\, take a book. \nThe casual meetups provide an excellent opportunity to discover new book recommendations\, make friends\, and reconnect with the love of reading. Whether you’re a lifelong bookworm or just getting back into reading\, everyone is welcome. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is free to attend and proudly supports local businesses and organizations. Additional dates and locations will be announced via the SBCB Instagram page at www.instagram.com/silentbookclubbeaufort. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/silent-book-club-beaufort-6/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/23008_image_536281512_1194821066012699_4466445041933494941_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250911T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250911T193000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134524Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184514Z UID:10001384-1757613600-1757619000@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Virtual Open Mic Night -- Featuring Novelist Laura Leigh Morris\, Author of The Stone Catchers DESCRIPTION:The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be presented as a virtual event\, live-streamed to our Facebook page\, on Thursday\, September 11\, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured presenter is novelist Laura Leigh Morris\, author of The Stone Catchers. Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres\, with host Melissa Whiteford St. Clair. \nInterested in reading as part of virtual Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org. \nAbout Our Featured Author:\nLaura Leigh Morris is the author of The Stone Catchers: A Novel (2024)\, a finalist for the 2024 Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction\, and Jaws of Life: Stories (2018). She’s previously published short fiction and essays in STORY Magazine\, North American Review\, The Florida Review\, and other journals. She teaches creative writing and literature at Furman University in Greenville\, SC. To learn more\, visitwww.lauraleighmorris.com. \n“Laura Leigh Morris pulls her readers deep into a community experiencing generational tragedy and with eagle-eyed attention to the fine grain of human foible and capacity\, charts the path through the tempest. In a world where on a daily basis we see our humanity reduced and our storytelling pinched\, The Stone Catchers is a precious gift. Morris has given us a compelling\, addictive narrative\, shot through with a compassion validated by her unflinching gaze and measured\, magisterial prose. The Stone Catchers is a marvel. Morris takes one of the toughest subjects to contemplate—a mass shooting—and in lucid prose limns how all of us are beset by pressure that results in questionable decisions. Morris unpacks what it is to be human\, her deadly accuracy matched by her consummate delicacy.”–Robert Gipe\, author of Pop: An Illustrated Novel \n“In The Stone Catchers\, Laura Leigh Morris does the thing most Americans refuse to do: She stays with the victims of gun violence long after the twenty-four-hour news cycle has ended. She shows us how the trauma of a school shooting reverberates through a community—not just for the victims themselves\, but for all those who feel the effects of their trauma. She does not let us do the thing we most want to do\, what we do again and again\, which is look away. She demands that we look. That we reckon. That we implicate ourselves in the violence that plays out far too often in our country.”–Neema Avashia\, author of Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/virtual-open-mic-night-featuring-novelist-laura-leigh-morris-author-of-the-stone-catchers/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/22877_image_523128188_1163586115802861_5862508349665624991_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250823T163000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250823T183000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134524Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184514Z UID:10001388-1755966600-1755973800@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Book Club Beaufort DESCRIPTION:Silent Book Club Beaufort\, a unique take on the traditional book club\, will hold its next meetup on Saturday\, August 23\, from 4:30 to 6:30PM at the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.). A relaxed and pressure-free space for readers of all types\, this community gathering invites book lovers to enjoy their current reads in a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is co-sponsored by the Conroy Center and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization). \nUnlike traditional book clubs\, Silent Book Club Beaufort has no assigned reading\, no deadlines\, and no discussions required. Whether you prefer ebooks\, audiobooks\, comic books\, textbooks\, or paperbacks\, readers are invited to bring their book of choice\, settle in\, and savor the joy of uninterrupted reading among like-minded individuals. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort also features a book swap: Leave a book\, take a book. \nThe casual meetups provide an excellent opportunity to discover new book recommendations\, make friends\, and reconnect with the love of reading. Whether you’re a lifelong bookworm or just getting back into reading\, everyone is welcome. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is free to attend and proudly supports local businesses and organizations. Additional dates and locations will be announced via the SBCB Instagram page at www.instagram.com/silentbookclubbeaufort. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/silent-book-club-beaufort-7/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/22886_image_511318976_1139773131517493_5791145595947096506_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250814T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250814T193000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134524Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184514Z UID:10001389-1755194400-1755199800@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Open Mic Night--Featuring Novelist Michael Spake\, Author of Life Close to the Bone DESCRIPTION:The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be held at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) on Thursday\, August 14\, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured novelist will be Michael Spake\, author of Life Close to the Bone. Open Mic will also include short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres. \nInterested in reading as part of Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org. \nAbout Our Featured Authors\nMichael Spake is the author of Life Close to the Bone\, his debut novel exploring the intricate layers of the past and the challenge of connecting them to the present. Inspired by his experience playing junior tennis in South Carolina and his career as a healthcare attorney\, the novel delves into themes of memory\, heritage\, and personal transformation. In addition to Life Close to the Bone\, Michael has published short stories in Well Read Magazine’s Best of 2023 and 2024\, capturing the culture and history of his hometown\, Anderson\, SC in Well Read Magazine’s Best of 2023 and 2024. Michael graduated from The Citadel in 1994 where he received the Granville T. Prior Award for his exploration of Christian Mysticism in the works of T.S. Eliot. Michael lives in Lakeland\, Florida with his wife Mary Lucia Spake. Together they have four children: Henry\, Mary Clare\, Kathryn\, and Vivian. \n“In Life Close to the Bone\, debut novelist Michael Spake skillfully explores the complexity of the past and the impossibility of ever escaping its impact on the present. As protagonist John Greenburn\, a former tennis star turned pharmaceutical ethics attorney\, struggles to uncover the potential danger of a new drug\, he is drawn back into a past that threatens to undermine all he’s worked to achieve. Despite his reluctance to revisit old traumas\, John’s only hope for redemption is to face headlong the long-buried demons he has yet to acknowledge. Ultimately\, John’s journey in connecting the past to the present belongs to all of us.”–Cassandra King\, author of Tell Me a Story: My Life with Pat Conroy URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/open-mic-night-featuring-novelist-michael-spake-author-of-life-close-to-the-bone/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/22888_image_487085851_1073392904822183_8384317656739677512_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250719T163000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250719T183000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134525Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184515Z UID:10001394-1752942600-1752949800@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Book Club Beaufort DESCRIPTION:Silent Book Club Beaufort\, a unique take on the traditional book club\, will hold its next meetup on Saturday\, July 19\, from 4:30 to 6:30PM at the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.). A relaxed and pressure-free space for readers of all types\, this community gathering invites book lovers to enjoy their current reads in a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is co-sponsored by the Conroy Center and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization). \nUnlike traditional book clubs\, Silent Book Club Beaufort has no assigned reading\, no deadlines\, and no discussions required. Whether you prefer ebooks\, audiobooks\, comic books\, textbooks\, or paperbacks\, readers are invited to bring their book of choice\, settle in\, and savor the joy of uninterrupted reading among like-minded individuals. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort also features a book swap: Leave a book\, take a book. \nThe casual meetups provide an excellent opportunity to discover new book recommendations\, make friends\, and reconnect with the love of reading. Whether you’re a lifelong bookworm or just getting back into reading\, everyone is welcome. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is free to attend and proudly supports local businesses and organizations. Additional dates and locations will be announced via the SBCB Instagram page at www.instagram.com/silentbookclubbeaufort. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/silent-book-club-beaufort-8/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23566_image_510507684_1139771654850974_5153037391193994449_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250710T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250710T193000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134525Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184515Z UID:10001396-1752170400-1752175800@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Virtual Open Mic Night -- Featuring Abagail Summers\, Author of After the Storm DESCRIPTION:The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be presented as a virtual event\, live-streamed to our Facebook page\, on Thursday\, July 10\, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured presenter is novelist Abagail Summers\, author of After the Storm. Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres. \nInterested in reading as part of virtual Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org. \nAbout Our Featured Author:\nAbagail Summers is a Lowcountry author of short stories\, poetry\, and novels—including Life with a Bird Out the Window (2014)\, Forgiving the Past (2020)\, The Untold Legacy (2021)\, and her newest release\, After the Storm (2025). Two of her short stories\, Shining Light and Claire De Lune\, were published in the anthology An Iron Fist in A Velvet Glove\, and both were awarded honorable mention in the Globe Soup 7-Day Writing Contest. Summers earned her BA in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is a member of several writing groups\, including Write Like You Mean It\, Kingsbridge Writers Circle\, Writers Beyond Borders\, Charlotte Lit\, and Main Street Writes\, She has been regular participant in the Pat Conroy Literary Center’s Open Mic Nights. \nAbout After the Storm\nJune Waters walks away from the country music business at the height of her popularity\, leaving people wondering why. But only she knows why. Not even the people closest to her know what’s happening inside her head or her heart. To make matters worse\, her dad is dying from lung cancer and can no longer run the farm on his own\, which has put her family in jeopardy of losing it all. Against their will\, June moves her absent husband and resentful daughter to her hometown of Franklin\, Tennessee. But when she’s there\, her past weaves its way back into her life\, leaving her with many questions about who she is. Not only that\, but the hourglass has been turned\, the bank starts the foreclosure process. As she balances on the high wire of life\, she must make an agonizing choice: Fight for the land she loves by heading back to Nashville with her pride tucked back into her pocket\, or become the mother her daughter needs her to be. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/virtual-open-mic-night-featuring-abagail-summers-author-of-after-the-storm/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23570_image_492502578_1091871149641025_7279077911916933408_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250621T163000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250621T183000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134525Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184515Z UID:10001399-1750523400-1750530600@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Book Club Beaufort DESCRIPTION:Silent Book Club Beaufort\, a unique take on the traditional book club\, will hold its next meetup on Saturday\, 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. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is co-sponsored by the Conroy Center and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization)\, bringing together two organizations dedicated to fostering community connections and celebrating the love of literature. \nUnlike traditional book clubs\, Silent Book Club Beaufort has no assigned reading\, no deadlines\, and no discussions required. Whether you prefer ebooks\, audiobooks\, comic books\, textbooks\, or paperbacks\, readers are invited to bring their book of choice\, settle in\, and savor the joy of uninterrupted reading among like-minded individuals. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort also features a book swap: Leave a book\, take a book. \nThe casual meetups provide an excellent opportunity to discover new book recommendations\, make friends\, and reconnect with the love of reading. Whether you’re a lifelong bookworm or just getting back into reading\, everyone is welcome. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is free to attend and proudly supports local businesses and organizations. Additional dates and locations will be announced via the SBCB Instagram page at www.instagram.com/silentbookclubbeaufort. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/silent-book-club-beaufort-9/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23576_image_486008764_1080061147488692_1751472375329505786_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250612T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250612T193000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134525Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184515Z UID:10001400-1749751200-1749756600@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Open Mic Night--Featuring Doris E. Wright\, Author of Cabbagehead DESCRIPTION: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. \nInterested in reading as part of Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org. \nAbout Our Featured Author\nDoris 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. \n“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 URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/open-mic-night-featuring-doris-e-wright-author-of-cabbagehead/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23578_image_487282759_1072737994887674_5074025934356531908_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250531T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250531T153000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134525Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184515Z UID:10001404-1748700000-1748705400@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:An Afternoon with Annelore Harrell\, Author of Et Cetera Y'All\, Volume 1 DESCRIPTION: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. \nAbout the Book And Author \n“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 \nGet 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. \nAnnelore 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. \nBy 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. \nTransitioning 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. \nIn 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. \nIn 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. \nAnnelore’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. \nEven 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.\nAnnelore Harrell’s story is a testament to living with passion\, resilience\, and an unquenchable thirst for adventure. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/an-afternoon-with-annelore-harrell-author-of-et-cetera-yall-volume-1/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23586_image_487508803_1072241314937342_9132493426216170383_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250524T163000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250524T183000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134526Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184515Z UID:10001405-1748104200-1748111400@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Book Club Beaufort DESCRIPTION:Silent Book Club Beaufort\, a unique take on the traditional book club\, will hold its next meetup on Saturday\, 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. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is co-sponsored by the Conroy Center and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization)\, bringing together two organizations dedicated to fostering community connections and celebrating the love of literature. \nUnlike traditional book clubs\, Silent Book Club Beaufort has no assigned reading\, no deadlines\, and no discussions required. Whether you prefer ebooks\, audiobooks\, comic books\, textbooks\, or paperbacks\, readers are invited to bring their book of choice\, settle in\, and savor the joy of uninterrupted reading among like-minded individuals. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort also features a book swap: Leave a book\, take a book. \nThe casual meetups provide an excellent opportunity to discover new book recommendations\, make friends\, and reconnect with the love of reading. Whether you’re a lifelong bookworm or just getting back into reading\, everyone is welcome. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is free to attend and proudly supports local businesses and organizations. Additional dates and locations will be announced via the SBCB Instagram page at www.instagram.com/silentbookclubbeaufort. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/silent-book-club-beaufort-10/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23588_image_489691975_1080059850822155_8031940389267766595_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250508T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250508T193000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134526Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184519Z UID:10001407-1746727200-1746732600@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Virtual Open Mic Night -- Featuring James Alan Gill\, Author of Not Dark Yet DESCRIPTION:The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be presented as a virtual event\, live-streamed to our Facebook page\, on Thursday\, 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. \nInterested in reading as part of virtual Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org. \nAbout Our Featured Author:\nJames 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. \n“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. \n“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 URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/virtual-open-mic-night-featuring-james-alan-gill-author-of-not-dark-yet/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23592_image_486953835_1071725778322229_8785224002368966988_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250501T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250501T183000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134530Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184519Z UID:10001409-1746118800-1746124200@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:An Evening with Eat It & Like It Host Jesse Blanco\, Author of Charleston Food Crawls DESCRIPTION: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. \nAbout Jesse Blanco and Charleston Food Crawls\nCharleston 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. \nJesse 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. \nIn 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. \nJesse 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. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/an-evening-with-eat-it-like-it-host-jesse-blanco-author-of-charleston-food-crawls/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23596_image_487789653_1073392498155557_1954795550057357062_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250426T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250426T120000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134530Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184519Z UID:10001411-1745661600-1745668800@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Write Living Newspapers: A Poetry Workshop Led by Marjory Wentworth DESCRIPTION: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.” \nThis 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. \nRegister: https://writelivingnewspapers.eventbrite.com \nAbout Our Instructor: \nMarjory 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. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/write-living-newspapers-a-poetry-workshop-led-by-marjory-wentworth/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23600_image_490942098_1087225606772246_7160615806290407986_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250425T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250425T183000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134530Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184519Z UID:10001412-1745600400-1745605800@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:An Evening with Marjory Wentworth\, Author of One River\, One Boat DESCRIPTION: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. \nAbout the Book and Author \nFamously 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.” \n“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 \nMarjory 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. \nAs 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 URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/an-evening-with-marjory-wentworth-author-of-one-river-one-boat-2/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23602_image_486970343_1072470104914463_6036797465961752623_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250417T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250417T183000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134530Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184519Z UID:10001414-1744909200-1744914600@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:An Evening with Novelist Emily Carpenter\, Author of Gothictown DESCRIPTION: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. \nABOUT THE BOOK AND AUTHOR\n“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 \n“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 \n*A Publishers Marketplace BUZZ BOOKS Selection* \nIn 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. \nThe 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. \nA 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. \nBut 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. \nThere’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. \nABOUT THE AUTHOR\nEmily 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. \nABOUT THE INTERVIEWER\nJonathan 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. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/an-evening-with-novelist-emily-carpenter-author-of-gothictown-2/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23607_image_488405588_1077991084362365_8201981736065287751_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250415T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250415T183000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134530Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184519Z UID:10001415-1744736400-1744741800@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:An Evening with Novelist Dawn Tripp\, Author of Jackie DESCRIPTION: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. \nAbout the Book and Author:\n“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 \n“Perfect for those who can’t get enough from one of the country’s most iconic couples.” —People \nIn 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. \nJackie 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. \nWhen 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.” \nThis 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. \nDawn 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. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/an-evening-with-novelist-dawn-tripp-author-of-jackie-2/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23609_image_487222640_1072253944936079_3325050223660171666_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250412T163000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250412T183000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134530Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184519Z UID:10001416-1744475400-1744482600@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Book Club Beaufort DESCRIPTION:Silent Book Club Beaufort\, a unique take on the traditional book club\, will hold its next meetup on Saturday\, 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. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is co-sponsored by the Conroy Center and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization)\, bringing together two organizations dedicated to fostering community connections and celebrating the love of literature. \nUnlike traditional book clubs\, Silent Book Club Beaufort has no assigned reading\, no deadlines\, and no discussions required. Whether you prefer ebooks\, audiobooks\, comic books\, textbooks\, or paperbacks\, readers are invited to bring their book of choice\, settle in\, and savor the joy of uninterrupted reading among like-minded individuals. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort also features a book swap: Leave a book\, take a book. \nThe casual meetups provide an excellent opportunity to discover new book recommendations\, make friends\, and reconnect with the love of reading. Whether you’re a lifelong bookworm or just getting back into reading\, everyone is welcome. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is free to attend and proudly supports local businesses and organizations. Additional dates and locations will be announced via the SBCB Instagram page at www.instagram.com/silentbookclubbeaufort. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/silent-book-club-beaufort-11/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23611_image_488014706_1080055037489303_1530016695585041888_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250410T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250410T193000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134531Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184520Z UID:10001417-1744308000-1744313400@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Open Mic Night--Featuring Galen Warden\, Author of I Believe You\, Also Reading for Poet James Strazza DESCRIPTION: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. \nInterested in reading as part of Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org. \nAbout Our Featured Authors\nGalen 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. \n“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 \nJames 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. \n“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 URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/open-mic-night-featuring-galen-warden-author-of-i-believe-you-also-reading-for-poet-james-strazza/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23613_image_487325929_1072737954887678_7480122467752190704_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250404T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250404T183000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134531Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184520Z UID:10001420-1743786000-1743791400@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:An Evening with Bestselling Novelist Colleen Oakley\, Author of Jane and Dan at the End of the World DESCRIPTION:The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with USA Today bestselling novelist Colleen Oakley\, author of Jane and Dan at the End of the World\, on Friday\, April 4\, at 5:00 p.m.\, at Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort). Oakley will be joined in conversation by Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt. Free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing. Please call to reserve your seat in advance: 843-379-7025. \nAbout the Novel:\nDate night goes off the rails in this hilariously insightful take on midlife and marriage when one unhappy couple find themselves at the heart of a crime in progress\, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise. \nJane and Dan have been married for nineteen years\, but Jane isn’t sure they’re going to make it to twenty. The mother of two feels unneeded by her teenagers\, and her writing career has screeched to an unsuccessful halt. Her one published novel sold under five hundred copies. Worse? She’s pretty sure Dan is cheating on her. When the couple goes to the renowned upscale restaurant La Fin du Monde to celebrate their anniversary\, Jane thinks it’s as good a place as any to tell Dan she wants a divorce. \nBut before they even get to the second course\, an underground climate activist group bursts into the dining room. Jane is shocked—and not just because she’s in a hostage situation the likes of which she’s only seen in the movies. Nearly everything the disorganized and bumbling activists say and do is right out of the pages of her failed book. Even Dan (who Jane wasn’t sure even read her book) admits it’s eerily familiar. \nWhich means Dan and Jane are the only ones who know what’s going to happen next. And they’re the only ones who can stop it. This wasn’t what Jane was thinking of when she said “’til death do us part” all those years ago\, but if they can survive this\, maybe they can survive anything—even marriage. \n“Jane and Dan at the End of the World is a triumph! Poignant\, darkly funny\, and mind-bendingly twisty at every turn. With each new chapter\, I felt more invested in Jane and Dan\, the fate of their marriage\, and the outcome of their shocking predicament. I cheered for them all the way to the story’s satisfying end.”—Elle Cosimano\, New York Times bestselling author of Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice \n“Only Colleen Oakley could turn a terrorist attack on a restaurant into a charming story full of humor\, surprises\, and familial love. A delightful\, imaginative\, laugh-out-loud joy ride of a novel.”—Nina Simon\, New York Times bestselling author of Mother-Daughter Murder Night \nAbout the Author:\nColleen Oakley is the USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise\, The Invisible Husband of Frick Island\, You Were There Too\, Close Enough to Touch\, and Before I Go. Her books have been translated into more than twenty languages around the world and have won multiple awards including Georgia Author of the Year and the French Reader’s Prize. A former magazine editor for Women’s Health & Fitness and Marie Claire\, Colleen lives in Atlanta with her husband\, four children\, three chickens\, and a mutt named Baxter. \nAbout the Interviewer:\nJonathan 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. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/an-evening-with-bestselling-novelist-colleen-oakley-author-of-jane-and-dan-at-the-end-of-the-world/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23620_image_487170715_1070300731798067_772207840573434442_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250325T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250325T183000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134531Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184520Z UID:10001422-1742922000-1742927400@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:An Evening with Penelope Coker Hall and Eliza Wilson Ingle\, Authors of A Curious Heart DESCRIPTION:The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with Penelope Coker Hall and Eliza Wilson Ingle\, Authors of A Curious Heart: The Life and Letters of Elizabeth Boatwright Coker\, on Tuesday\, March 25\, at 5:00 p.m.\, at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort). Free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing. Seating is limited; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025. \nAbout the Book and Authors\nWritten by Elizabeth Boatwright Coker’s daughter\, Penelope Coker Hall\, and granddaughter\, Eliza Wilson Ingle\, A Curious Heart chronicles the life and work of the award-winning author. \nIn this poignant literary biography\, Hall and Ingle give readers a front row seat to the remarkable life and career of award-winning author Elizabeth Boatwright Coker (1909-1993). Drawing liberally from Elizabeth’s own letters\, journal entries\, book passages and interviews\, A Curious Heart reveals for the first time the inner life of this complex\, Southern woman who dreamed of becoming a published writer. \nBorn in Darlington\, South Carolina in an era when women could not vote and the legacy of the Civil War suffused nearly everything\, Elizabeth was blessed with movie star beauty\, a keen intellect and sense of humor\, and extraordinary determination. At an early age\, she was mentored by inspired teachers and some of the great writers of the 20th century. She would go on to challenge the status quo\, in her life and her books. \nElizabeth’s journey juggling the demands of corporate wife and mother with that of working writer is a story of trial and triumph\, heartbreak and joy. Her life spanned nearly the entire century\, the second half of which yielded nine historical novels. With sensitivity and insight\, the authors chronicle the passion\, the powers of observation\, the gift of storytelling\, and the fierce independence that propelled their mother and grandmother to The New York Times bestseller list and the South Carolina Hall of Fame. \nBorn in Hartsville\, South Carolina\, Penelope Coker Hall matriculated to Sarah Lawrence College and eventually settled in New York\, becoming a writer and host for Metromedia’s Channel Five TV show “The New Yorkers.” Later at NBC\, Hall worked as a co-producer of several TV specials\, including “Vanishing 400” and “Debutante.” During this time\, she met and married film producer William Wilson and in 1968 their daughter\, Eliza\, was born. In 1972\, Hall left the performing arts and embarked on a new marriage with widower Mortimer Hall of Millbrook\, N.Y. Ensconced in Millbrook for 50 years\, Hall served as editor of Dutchess Magazine while raising daughter Eliza as well as Morti’s five young children\, along with a bevy of horses and dogs. Hall is author of several children’s books and the novel Riding High (under the pseudonym of Emily Brooks)\, written with former E.P. Dutton editor Ann LaFarge. Today\, she divides her time between Charleston\, S.C. and Millbrook. \nEliza Wilson Ingle is a New York native with Southern roots. She earned her BA in Dance from Middlebury College\, and after a brief stint in New York City\, moved to Charleston S.C. where she became a Professor of Dance at the College of Charleston. In addition to teaching\, Ingle has been a performer and choreographer with Anonymity Dance Company. A dance reviewer for The Post and Courier covering Spoleto Festival USA\, as well as a contributor to Charleston Magazine and Charleston City Paper\, and creator and co-host of “Just Imagine” – a radio program covering local cultural events and people – she stays tapped into the arts and believes\, as her grandmother did\, in the power of story. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/an-evening-with-penelope-coker-hall-and-eliza-wilson-ingle-authors-of-a-curious-heart-2/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23625_image_487238084_1072241298270677_2050270854396033680_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250322T163000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250322T183000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134531Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184520Z UID:10001423-1742661000-1742668200@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Silent Book Club Beaufort DESCRIPTION:Silent Book Club Beaufort\, a unique take on the traditional book club\, will hold its next meetup on Saturday\, March 22\, from 4:30 to 6:30pm at the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.). A relaxed and pressure-free space for readers of all types\, this community gathering invites book lovers to enjoy their current reads in a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is co-sponsored by the Conroy Center and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization)\, bringing together two organizations dedicated to fostering community connections and celebrating the love of literature. \nUnlike traditional book clubs\, Silent Book Club Beaufort has no assigned reading\, no deadlines\, and no discussions required. Whether you prefer ebooks\, audiobooks\, comic books\, textbooks\, or paperbacks\, readers are invited to bring their book of choice\, settle in\, and savor the joy of uninterrupted reading among like-minded individuals. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort also features a book swap: Leave a book\, take a book. \nThe casual meetups provide an excellent opportunity to discover new book recommendations\, make friends\, and reconnect with the love of reading. Whether you’re a lifelong bookworm or just getting back into reading\, everyone is welcome. \nSilent Book Club Beaufort is free to attend and proudly supports local businesses and organizations. Additional dates and locations will be announced soon via the SBCB Instagram page at www.instagram.com/silentbookclubbeaufort. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/silent-book-club-beaufort-12/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23627_image_487538081_1073392911488849_1571222544684656310_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250320T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250320T183000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134531Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184520Z UID:10001424-1742490000-1742495400@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:An Evening with Novelists Dawn Major and Kim Poovey DESCRIPTION:The Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with authors Dawn Major and Kim Poovey portraying characters from their respective novels\, introduced by host Mary Ellen Thompson. Free and open to the public\, this special event will be held at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) on March 20 at 5:00 p.m. Books will be available for sale and signing. Please call in advance to reserve a seat: 843-379-7025. \nDawn Major is an associate editor for the Southern Literary Review. Her debut novel\, The Bystanders\, was named finalist for 2024 Georgia Author of the Year for Best First Novel. Set in the 1980s\, The Bystanders is the story of a family who moves from California to a small town in Missouri\, where\, to put it mildly\, they didn’t fit in. Dawn will converse from the point of view of her teenaged character\, Shannon Lamb\, who is the source of much gossip from the townspeople. \nKim Poovey is a storyteller\, Victorian reenactress\, and has written nine novels. The first of her Dreamist Series\, The Haunting of Monroe Manse\, centers on Sarah Holden\, a smalltown antiques dealer who is “plagued by haunted dreams and gruesome visions.” As Sarah’s visions increase in intensity\, the reader is taken on a chilling page turning journey of the otherworldly. Kim will portray Sarah in the conversation. \nAbout the Authors\nDawn Major’s debut novel\, The Bystanders\, was named finalist for 2024 Georgia Author of the Year for Best First Novel. Major has a graduate degree in Creative Writing\, is associate editor at Southern Literary Review\, and a co-editor at WELL READ Magazine where she writes a column called “TripLit with D. Major.” She enjoys advocating for Southern writers and artists on her blog\, SouthernRead. Major’s literary awards include the following: the Dr. Robert Driscoll Award for Excellence in Writing Award and a James Dickey Fellowship. She is a member of the William Gay Archive and helps edit and publish the late author’s works. She serves on the board at Broadleaf Writers Association\, is a member of multiple writing association\, as well as a member of M’ville\, an Atlanta-based artist salon. She has been published in multiple journals\, reviews\, and anthologies. Major lives in Atlanta\, GA with her family and is currently working on her novelette\, The Dandy Chronicles. \nKim Poovey is a bestselling author of cozy horror and historical fiction. She has traveled the Southeast for more than 20 years presenting on 19th century fashion\, Victorian era mourning practices\, Ornamental Hairwork\, and the history of ghost stories. In 2011 she portrayed Mrs. Stanton\, wife of Secretary of War Stanton (Kevin Kline)\, in the Robert Redford film\, The Conspirator. Additional film projects include portraying the wife of a villainous husband in the Vook version of Jude Devereaux’ novella Promises and the documentary Beyond the Oaks\, Lowcountry Plantations. Kim has published nine books to include four in the Dreamist series and two in the Shadows trilogy. In addition\, Kim has written for several magazines to include Beaufort Lifestyles\, Bluffton Breeze\, Citizen’s Companion\, and the Civil War Times.bWhen not writing or performing\, Kim works as a school psychologist. She lives in a haunted 1890s Victorian cottage in the South Carolina Lowcountry with her husband\, Darryl\, and their furry children. \nMary Ellen Thompson is an associate editor for the Southern Literary Review. Her interview with the legendary Pat Conroy was published in A Lowcountry Heart. A lead features writer for Beaufort Lifestyle Magazine for eight years\, and columnist for Lowcountry Weekly for ten years\, she has also written for Pooler Magazine\, Effingham Magazine\, Carolina Arts Magazine\, St. Mary’s Magazine and Eat\, Sleep\, Play Beaufort. Mary Ellen has very happy feet and loves to travel. Raised on the Main Line of Philadelphia and the Eastern Shore of MD\, she has a B.S. From Skidmore College in Business. Currently living on Saint Helena Island\, SC\, she hosts a Writer’s Residency for the Pat Conroy Literary Center\, and is writing a retrospective narrative. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/an-evening-with-novelists-dawn-major-and-kim-poovey/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23629_image_487207232_1072856464875827_1910844683253177355_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250313T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250313T193000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134531Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184520Z UID:10001425-1741888800-1741894200@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Virtual Open Mic Night -- Featuring Susan Tekulve\, Author of Bodies of Light DESCRIPTION:The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be presented as a virtual event\, live-streamed to our Facebook page\, on Thursday\, March 13\, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured presenter is multi-genre author Susan Tekulve\, whose newest book is Bodies of Light\, her first full-length poetry collection. Hosted by poet Melissa Whiteford St. Clair\, Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres. \nInterested in reading as part of virtual Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org. \nAbout Our Featured Author:\nSusan Tekulve’s newest book Bodies of Light is her first full-length poetry collection. She is the author of Second Shift: Essays (Del Sol Press) and In the Garden of Stone (Hub City Press)\, winner of the South Carolina Novel Prize and a Gold IPPY Award. She’s also published two short story collections: Savage Pilgrims (Serving House Books) and My Mother’s War Stories (Winnow Press). Her photo essay\, “White Blossoms\,” appeared in Issue 12 of the KYSO Flash Anthology. Her nonfiction\, fiction\, and poetry has appeared in journals such as Denver Quarterly\, The Georgia Review\, The Louisville Review\, Puerto del Sol\, New Letters\, and Shenandoah. Her web chapbook\, Wash Day\, appears in the Web Del Sol International Chapbook Series\, and her story collection\, My Mother’s War Stories\, received the 2004 Winnow Press fiction prize. She has received scholarships from the Sewanee Writers’ Conference and Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. She teaches in the BFA and MFA writing programs at Converse University. \n“Susan Tekulve’s Bodies of Light both illuminates and enchants. In odes to body parts—teeth and thumbs\, feet and hair—as well as bodies inside bodies (pregnancies)\, this poet delights in the corporal and spiritual. In elegies\, Tekulve honors the bodies of her beloved dead and the magic of her garden. Hummingbirds\, tarantulas\, stinkbugs\, spiders\, and bees wearing ‘tiny yellow combat boots’ populate these terrific poems of wonder and dazzle.”–Denise Duhamel\, author of Pink Lady\, Scald\, and Blowout \n“It’s a kind of magic\, the way Susan Tekulve’s forthright monosyllabic titles (Bonnet\, Grief\, Kimono\, Son—the list goes on) blossom into poems so lush in vision\, so voluptuous in vocabulary and song\, they feel as bountiful as the planet we live on. Tekulve’s poems have their specific concerns of course (parenting\, for example\, and world travel) but ultimately she’s in love with existence itself\, whether elegiac or celebratory\, and her one-word titles (Relics\, Geodes\, Feathers: the list goes on) are keys to a lavish proof of that love’s great depth.”–Albert Goldbarth\, author of History (and Pre-)\, Saving Lives\, and Heaven and Earth: A Cosmology URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/virtual-open-mic-night-featuring-susan-tekulve-author-of-bodies-of-light/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23631_image_486822259_1071725491655591_7865759311355579368_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250308T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250308T120000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134531Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184520Z UID:10001426-1741428000-1741435200@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Writing Believable Law Enforcement Characters: A Workshop Led by Dana Ridenour & Eugene A. Rugala DESCRIPTION:Writing Believable Law Enforcement Characters\nA Workshop for Writers Led by Dana Ridenour and Eugene A. Rugala \nLaw enforcement personnel are an integral part of crime fiction. Their roles range from those enforcing the law at street level up to the upper echelons of command. In this workshop retired FBI undercover special agent Dana Ridenour and a retired FBI agent and profiler Eugene A. Rugala will discuss the psychological toll of being a law enforcement officer\, how to write realistic law enforcement characters and crime scenes\, writing about firearms\, understanding jurisdiction\, writing realistic fight scenes\, and turning your real-life experiences into fiction. The instructors will also delve into opportunities for research and their own experiences with research—one as a novelist and the other as a consultant for books\, film\, and television. \nTime permitting\, some participants may also be able to read brief excerpts from drafts for feedback from the instructors. \nThis is an in-person writers workshop\, held at the Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.). Limited to 20 participants with advance registration required: $60/person. \nRegister at: https://writinglawenforcement.eventbrite.com \nAbout our instructors \nDana Ridenour is the award-winning author of the Lexie Montgomery FBI Series: Behind the Mask\, Beyond the Cabin\, and Below the Radar. She is a retired FBI special agent who spent most of her career as an undercover operative. Dana entered on duty with the FBI in November of 1995 and retired in April of 2016 after over twenty years of service. She was assigned to four different FBI Field Divisions and had the opportunity to work a wide variety of cases\, to include multi-faceted narcotics investigations\, domestic sex trafficking of minors\, and violent crime. Over the years\, Dana was a proud member of the FBI’s Evidence Response Team where she and her team traveled to New York City in response to the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. The highlight of her career came in 2003 when she attended and passed the FBI’s prestigious undercover school\, thus allowing her to work as an undercover FBI agent. This undercover certification opened the door for her to work a series of long term\, deep cover cases focusing on domestic terrorism. Dana had the rare experience of working a long-term undercover investigation with her husband who was also an FBI agent. She now lives\, writes\, and teaches in the South Carolina lowcountry\, where she also volunteers at the Pat Conroy Literary Center. \nEugene A. Rugala is principal of Eugene A. Rugala and Associates LLC\, a behavioral science\, consultation\, training\, and research firm based in Beaufort. One of the FBI’s “Profilers” in the unit made famous by the book and movie “The Silence of the Lambs”and the series “Criminal Minds” and “Mindhunter\,” Gene specializes in the detailed behavioral analysis of violent crimes\, including homicide\, sexual assault\, intimate partner violence\, stalking\, and workplace and school violence. He consults with many corporations and universities in developing and implementing procedures and protocols for the prevention of violence in the workplace and in schools to include threat assessment and management services. He is also a national advisory board member of the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence\, a group of Fortune 500 companies who raise awareness and suggest strategies for companies to deal with intimate partner violence and its impact. Gene has contributed to the content and participated in the video production of Shots Fired: Guidance for Surviving an Active Shooter Situation\, Flashpoint: Recognizing and Preventing Violence in the Workplace\, and Silent Storm: Intimate Partner Violence and Stalking and Its Impact on the Workplace. A version of these programs has been developed for university settings as well. Gene is a coauthor of the book Workplace Violence: Issues in Threat Management. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/writing-believable-law-enforcement-characters-a-workshop-led-by-dana-ridenour-eugene-a-rugala/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23633_image_487313025_1072251618269645_1414565492011943761_n.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250301T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250301T120000 DTSTAMP:20260505T151244 CREATED:20260427T134531Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T184520Z UID:10001427-1740823200-1740830400@patconroyliterarycenter.org SUMMARY:Demythologizing the FBI: Writers Workshop Led by Dana Ridenour and Eugene A. Rugala DESCRIPTION:Demythologizing the FBI: What Writers Get Wrong\nLed by Dana Ridenour and Eugene A. Rugala \nJoin retired FBI undercover special agent Dana Ridenour and a retired FBI agent and profiler Eugene A. Rugala in this workshop for writers (and interested readers) as they dispel the myths and clichés perpetrated by television and movies regarding the FBI. Writers will learn how to avoid the common pitfalls of writing FBI characters. The discussion will give writers a peak into the daily life of an FBI agent focusing on the FBI undercover program\, and the role of the FBI plays in terrorism and human trafficking investigations. The presentation will also explore the myths and realities of what the Behavioral Analysis Unit does and doesn’t do\, what is and what is not behavioral “profiling\,” what types of cases utilize this technique\, and what members of the BAU do on a daily basis. Participants will gain a better understanding of how to accurately portray FBI characters and investigations.\nTime permitting\, some participants may also be able to read brief excerpts from drafts for feedback from the instructors. \nThis is an in-person writers workshop\, held at the Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.). Limited to 20 participants with advance registration required: $60/person. \nRegister at https://demythologizingthefbiworkshop.eventbrite.com \nAbout our instructors\nDana Ridenour is the award-winning author of the Lexie Montgomery FBI Series: Behind the Mask\, Beyond the Cabin\, and Below the Radar. She is a retired FBI special agent who spent most of her career as an undercover operative. Dana entered on duty with the FBI in November of 1995 and retired in April of 2016 after over twenty years of service. She was assigned to four different FBI Field Divisions and had the opportunity to work a wide variety of cases\, to include multi-faceted narcotics investigations\, domestic sex trafficking of minors\, and violent crime. Over the years\, Dana was a proud member of the FBI’s Evidence Response Team where she and her team traveled to New York City in response to the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. The highlight of her career came in 2003 when she attended and passed the FBI’s prestigious undercover school\, thus allowing her to work as an undercover FBI agent. This undercover certification opened the door for her to work a series of long term\, deep cover cases focusing on domestic terrorism. Dana had the rare experience of working a long-term undercover investigation with her husband who was also an FBI agent. She now lives\, writes\, and teaches in the South Carolina lowcountry\, where she also volunteers at the Pat Conroy Literary Center. \nEugene A. Rugala is principal of Eugene A. Rugala and Associates LLC\, a behavioral science\, consultation\, training\, and research firm based in Beaufort. One of the FBI’s “Profilers” in the unit made famous by the book and movie “The Silence of the Lambs”and the series “Criminal Minds” and “Mindhunter\,” Gene specializes in the detailed behavioral analysis of violent crimes\, including homicide\, sexual assault\, intimate partner violence\, stalking\, and workplace and school violence. He consults with many corporations and universities in developing and implementing procedures and protocols for the prevention of violence in the workplace and in schools to include threat assessment and management services. He is also a national advisory board member of the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence\, a group of Fortune 500 companies who raise awareness and suggest strategies for companies to deal with intimate partner violence and its impact. Gene has contributed to the content and participated in the video production of Shots Fired: Guidance for Surviving an Active Shooter Situation\, Flashpoint: Recognizing and Preventing Violence in the Workplace\, and Silent Storm: Intimate Partner Violence and Stalking and Its Impact on the Workplace. A version of these programs has been developed for university settings as well. Gene is a coauthor of the book Workplace Violence: Issues in Threat Management. URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/demythologizing-the-fbi-writers-workshop-led-by-dana-ridenour-and-eugene-a-rugala/ LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902 CATEGORIES:Other ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/23635_image_487191516_1072248574936616_9010203996632989718_n.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR