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DTSTAMP:20260908T104521Z
CREATED:20260818T204523Z
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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
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250301T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250301T120000
DTSTAMP:20260908T104521Z
CREATED:20260818T204523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T104521Z
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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
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250227T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250227T183000
DTSTAMP:20260908T104521Z
CREATED:20260818T204523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T104521Z
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SUMMARY:An Evening with Novelist Jen Marie Wiggins\, Author of The Good Bride
DESCRIPTION:{Rescheduled from December 19} \nThe nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with novelist Jen Marie Wiggins\, author of The Good Bride\, on Thursday\, February 27\, at 5:00 p.m.\, at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort). Free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing. Seating is limited; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025. \nAbout the Book and Author:\nOne of People Magazine’s Recommended Suspense Reads for 2025 \nThe Wedding of the Year turns disastrous in this twisty family drama full of lies and betrayals\, perfect for fans of Laura Dave\, Lucy Foley\, and Ruth Ware. \nOne year after a devastating hurricane\, bride-to-be Ruth Bancroft is marrying her perfect groom in a quaint fishing village on the Gulf Coast. The weekend is carefully curated\, with the displays of pomp and social media magic meant to promote an area still struggling to rebuild as well as bring Ruth’s estranged family back together. \nYet as good intentions often go\, this road to wed is hell and paved in complications. With tensions rising between the family and the bridal party\, long-buried secrets come to light\, and accusations start flying. Things officially spiral out of control when the oceanfront rehearsal dinner is rocked by a series of gunshots\, and a high-profile guest goes missing. As the investigation gets underway\, it turns out that everyone has something to hide. \nBig Little Lies meets The Guest List in this gripping page turner that asks the big questions about messy family liaisons\, modern media\, and the lies we tell the world. \nJen Marie Wiggins’s first book\, the gifty nonfiction title Married AF: A Funny Guide for the Newlywed or Bride\, was published with Sourcebooks in 2022. She has a background in advertising and public relations\, and her writing has appeared in Southern Coastal Weddings\, Savannah Magazine\, Savannah Homes\, and elsewhere. The Good Bride draws much of its inspiration from the devastation and rebuilding struggles of Mexico Beach\, Florida\, a place near and dear to Jen’s heart.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/an-evening-with-novelist-jen-marie-wiggins-author-of-the-good-bride-2/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250222T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250222T183000
DTSTAMP:20260908T104521Z
CREATED:20260818T204523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T104521Z
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SUMMARY:Silent Book Club Beaufort
DESCRIPTION:Silent Book Club Beaufort\, a unique take on the traditional book club\, will hold its second meetup on Saturday\, February 22\, from 4:30pm-6:30pm at the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center\, 601 Bladen St. Designed to offer a relaxed and pressure-free space for readers of all types\, this community gathering invites book lovers to enjoy their current reads in a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere. \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. Come embrace the joy of reading at Silent Book Club Beaufort!
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/silent-book-club-beaufort-12/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250221T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250221T183000
DTSTAMP:20260908T104521Z
CREATED:20260818T204523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T104521Z
UID:10001719-1740157200-1740162600@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:An Evening with the Contributing Writers of The Heartbeat of Quiet Streets
DESCRIPTION:The Pat Conroy Literary Center will host a discussion by a panel of contributing writers to the anthology The Hearbeat of Quiet Streets\, all members of the Chapin/Irmo Chapter of the South Carolina Writers Association\, on Friday\, February 21\, at 5:00 p.m. Panelists will discuss both the content of the book as well as its publication. This event is free and open to the public. Copies of the anthology as well as other books by the contributing writers will be available for sale and signing. To reserve a seat in advance\, please call 843-379-7025. \n“The Heartbeat of Quiet Streets is an outstanding collection of polished work from authors who know their canvas. The South\, small towns and mid-century summers collide in verse with quiet tension and churning drama.”–Kasie Whitener\, PhD\, University of South Carolina\, Darla Moore School of Business \n“The Heartbeat of Quiet Streets is an amazing title for a quality compilation of writing pieces. I chose one or two at a time to read\, to best enjoy them\, sinking into each\, basking in the unique world each had to offer. Kudos not only to the writers\, but to the editor who made the pieces an admirable whole.”–C. Hope Clark\, award-winning author of The Carolina Slade Mysteries\, the Edisto Island Mysteries\, and the Craven County Mysteries \nGlen Bramlitt\, an artist and engineer in South Carolina\, blends the boundless possibilities of ‘what-if’ with a vivid imagination. His current genre is dystopian fiction. Glen is an accomplished wood-working artist who carved charcuterie boards as a thank you to our guest testimonials.  \nSue Cryer served on the South Carolina Writer’s Association Board of Directors and co-edited Catfish Stew\, SCWA member’s anthology\, The Quill newsletter\, and The Petigru Review\, now an international publication. She also served on The State Newspaper’s Community Advisory Board and runs a home business. She recently completed a fictional memoir\, Surviving Riversedge. \nBy day\, Laura Lanni teaches organic chemistry and oversees her undergraduate research laboratory. When not teaching or writing\, she can be found working with writers in her critique group\, running\, hugging her grandchildren\, riding a jet-ski\, blogging\, and baking.  \nCarolyn Hartley is a six times #1 best-selling author. She has been in publishing for more than thirty years as an author\, publicist\, speaker\, and publisher for Fortune 500 companies. Her historical fiction trilogy\, The Buried Sunshine series\, won the International Book Impact Award in 2024 in the Historical Fiction category.  \nTerresa Cooper Haskew’s poetry and prose has appeared in more than fifty printed journal and anthology issues (Atlanta Review\, American Journal of Nursing\, The Main Street Rag). Her story\, “Living the Dream\,” was showcased in 2013 as a short film by Ron Hagell and Shirley Smith. Her first novel\, Winston’s Book of Souls is forthcoming in Spring 2025.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/an-evening-with-the-contributing-writers-of-the-heartbeat-of-quiet-streets/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250213T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250213T193000
DTSTAMP:20260908T104521Z
CREATED:20260818T204523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T104521Z
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SUMMARY:Open Mic Night -- Featuring Tayler Simon\, Author of Phases and Love & Other Forms of Heartbreak
DESCRIPTION:The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be held at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) on Thursday\, February 13\, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured author is Tayler Simon\, founder of Liberation Is Lit and author of Phases and Love and Other Forms of Heartbreak. Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres. \nInterested in reading as part of Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org. \nAbout Our Featured Author\nTayler Simon (she/her) is a writer\, social worker\, and the owner of the bookstore Liberation is Lit. She has self-published three books: Phases: Poems\, Writing Our Truths: A Guide to Self-Publishing for BIPOC Writers\, and Love and Other Forms of Heartbreak. Tayler is passionate about promoting social liberation through the power of transformative stories. \nAs part of her visit to the Conroy Center\, Taylor will also be teaching a writing workshop earlier that afternoon from 4:00 to 5:30: Writing Our Truths: The Power of Autobiographical Poetry & Self-Publishing Your Own Chapbook. Learn more at https://writingourtruths.eventbrite.com.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/open-mic-night-featuring-tayler-simon-author-of-phases-and-love-other-forms-of-heartbreak/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250213T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250213T173000
DTSTAMP:20260908T104521Z
CREATED:20260818T204523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T104521Z
UID:10001721-1739462400-1739467800@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:Workshop -- Writing Our Truths: The Power of Autobiographical Poetry\, with Tayler Simon
DESCRIPTION:Writing Our Truths: The Power of Autobiographical Poetry & Self-Publishing Your Own Chapbook — Led by Tayler Simon \nTurn your life story into a compelling poetry chapbook! This workshop guides you through crafting autobiographical poems that capture personal experiences to resonate with readers. Through a guided writing exercise\, you’ll refine your work while learning the basics of self-publishing. We’ll cover chapbook organization\, layout\, and production options\, so you leave ready to bring your unique voice to print. Ideal for poets of all levels\, this workshop will empower you to create a poetic mini-memoir and self-publish a chapbook to use your story for good. \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. \nRegistration: https://writingourtruths.eventbrite.com \nAbout Our Instructor:\nTayler Simon (she/her) is a writer\, social worker\, and the owner of the bookstore\, Liberation is Lit. She has self-published three books\, Phases: Poems\, Writing Our Truths: A Guide to Self-Publishing for BIPOC Writers\, and Love and Other Forms of Heartbreak. Tayler is passionate about promoting social liberation through the power of transformative stories. \nTayler will also be the featured author at that evening’s Open Mic Night at the Conroy Center\, beginning at 6:00 p.m.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/workshop-writing-our-truths-the-power-of-autobiographical-poetry-with-tayler-simon/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250125T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250125T120000
DTSTAMP:20260908T104522Z
CREATED:20260818T204524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T104522Z
UID:10001723-1737797400-1737806400@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:Endings and Beginnings: Writing Workshop Led by Karen Salyer McElmurray
DESCRIPTION:Endings and Beginnings\nGraham Greene once said\, “a story has no beginning or end: arbitrarily one chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead.” This arbitrariness—catching hold of an idea or a dream or a moment of insight—is certainly part of the sheer magic of writing. Deciding how to start a story and how to end it involves careful translation of our original moments of insight. Beginnings and endings become careful revision once we capture the arbitrary experience we begin with. This workshop will look at some examples of openings and endings from essays and longer works of memoir. We will discuss\, and we will also begin work on writing some openings of our own. \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: $60/person. \nRegister: https://endingsandbeginningsworkshop.eventbrite.com \nAbout Our Instructor:\nKaren Salyer McElmurray’s Surrendered Child: A Birth Mother’s Journey\, was an AWP Award Winner for Creative Nonfiction. Her novels are The Motel of the Stars\, Editor’s Pick by Oxford American\, and Strange Birds in the Tree of Heaven\, winner of the Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing. As a fiction writer\, she is the recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts\, the Kentucky Foundation for Women and the North Carolina Arts Council. Her work in nonfiction has been a recipient of the Annie Dillard Award for the Essay\, the New Southerner Award\, the Orison Anthology Award for Creative Nonfiction and\, most recently\, the LitSouth Award. She has co-edited\, with poet Adrian Blevins\, an essay collection called Walk till the Dogs Get Mean. Wanting Radiance\, a novel\, and Voice Lessons\, a short collection of lyric essays\, came out in 2021. A new essay collection\, I Could Name God in Twelve Ways came out in September 2024 from University Press of Kentucky.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/endings-and-beginnings-writing-workshop-led-by-karen-salyer-mcelmurray/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250124T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250124T180000
DTSTAMP:20260908T104522Z
CREATED:20260818T204524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T104522Z
UID:10001724-1737738000-1737741600@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:An Evening with Karen Salyer McElmurray\, Author of I Could Name God in Twelve Ways
DESCRIPTION:The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with award-winning writer Karen Salyer McElmurray\, author of the essay collection I Could Name God in Twelve Ways and the novel Wanting Radiance\, on Friday\, January 24\, at 5:00 p.m.\, at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort). Sponsored in part by WayWord Books\, this author event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing. Seating is limited; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025. \nMcElmurray will also lead a writing workshop on Saturday\, January 25\, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Details and registration: https://endingsandbeginningsworkshop.eventbrite.com \nABOUT I COULD NAME GOD IN TWELVE WAYS \n“I could dream in poetry\, could summon words for spiritual experience\, could name God in twelve ways and in ten times and places in history.”  \nAward-winning writer Karen Salyer McElmurray details her life’s journey across continents and decades in a poetic collection that is equal parts essay-as-memoir\, memoir-as-Künstlerroman\, and travelogue-as-meditation. \nIt is about the deserts of India. A hospital ward in Maryland. The blue seas of Greece. A greenhouse in Virginia. It is about the spirit houses of Thailand. The mountains of eastern Kentucky. The depths of the Grand Canyon. A creative writing classroom in Georgia. An attic in a generations-old house. It is about coming to terms with both memory and the power of writing itself.\nAt turns lyrical\, poignant\, and alluring\, McElmurray probes her personal history from the stance of different places\, perspectives\, and vulnerabilities as she tenderly and fiercely searches for acceptance and a place to call home. \n“McElmurray teaches us how to reckon and ravel\, how to unpack secrets\, abandon maps\, and learn from everything\, even vertigo\, even a global pandemic. This book is for everyone who has ever felt vulnerable in this world\, which is to say\, everyone.”―Julie Marie Wade\, author of Otherwise: Essays and Just an Ordinary Woman Breathing \n“The essays in this stunning collection are elegiac\, urgent\, vulnerable―full of loss and longing. Although the narrative is rooted in Kentucky\, the scope is global as the narrator travels literally and metaphorically toward love and away from the ghosts of the past.”―Sue William Silverman\, author of Acetylene Torch Songs: Writing True Stories to Ignite the Soul \nABOUT WANTING RADIANCE \nMiracelle Loving’s world comes crashing down when her mother\, Ruby\, is murdered during a fortune-telling session gone wrong. Without the guidance of her mother\, Miracelle grows up following the only path she knows\, traveling from town to town\, sometimes fortune-telling\, picking up odd jobs to fill the time and escape the ever-present lostness she can’t seem to run far enough away from. \nUncertain of what she wants and\, indeed\, whether she wants anything or anyone at all\, the now thirty-something-year-old finds herself working as a card reader in a Knoxville dive bar\, selling fictions as futures\, when she is confronted with her mother’s ghost voice promising to reveal the truth about her shadowy past. Desperate for answers\, Miracelle sets out on a magical road trip unlike any other\, in search of her own story and a father she’s never known. \nFollowing snowy highways and backroads\, Miracelle stumbles across a museum of oddities and a hole-in-the-road town called Radiant\, ultimately wandering into the town of Smyte\, where she begins waitressing at the Black Cat Diner. Here\, she befriends card-playing has-been Russell Wallen\, whom she joins for a series of nighttime adventures\, long drives\, and after-dark visits to a Holy Roller church. This mythical journey uncovers family secrets and forgotten truths\, transforming a familiar story of love and betrayal to reveal the binding power of magic and memory. \n“A poetic tale of a daughter’s quiet exploration of her past and how it pushes her forward.” —The Rumpus \n“An incantatory Appalachian gothic tale of love\, murder\, and restless souls\, populated with unforgettable flesh-and-blood characters . . . [a] masterpiece.” —Amy Greene\, national bestselling author \nABOUT THE AUTHOR \nKaren Salyer McElmurray’s Surrendered Child: A Birth Mother’s Journey\, was an AWP Award Winner for Creative Nonfiction.Her novels are The Motel of the Stars\, Editor’s Pick by Oxford American\, and Strange Birds in the Tree of Heaven\, winner of the Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing.As a fiction writer\, she is the recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts\, the Kentucky Foundation for Women and the North Carolina Arts Council. Her work in nonfiction has been a recipient of the Annie Dillard Award for the Essay\, the New Southerner Award\, the Orison Anthology Award for Creative Nonfiction and\, most recently\, the LitSouth Award. She has co-edited\, with poet Adrian Blevins\, an essay collection called Walk till the Dogs Get Mean. Wanting Radiance\, a novel\, and Voice Lessons\, a short collection of lyric essays\, came out in 2021. A new essay collection\, I Could Name God in Twelve Ways came out in September 2024 from University Press of Kentucky.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/an-evening-with-karen-salyer-mcelmurray-author-of-i-could-name-god-in-twelve-ways/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250111T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250111T183000
DTSTAMP:20260908T104522Z
CREATED:20260818T204524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T104522Z
UID:10001725-1736613000-1736620200@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:Silent Book Club Beaufort
DESCRIPTION:Silent Book Club Beaufort\, a unique take on the traditional book club\, will launch Saturday\, January 11\, from 4:30pm-6:30pm at the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center\, 601 Bladen St. Designed to offer a relaxed and pressure-free space for readers of all types\, this community gathering invites book lovers to enjoy their current reads in a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere. \nThe inaugural Silent Book Club Beaufort is co-sponsored by the Conroy Center and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization)\, bringing together two organizations dedicated to fostering community connections and celebrating the love of literature. \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. \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. Participants can drop in late or leave early to fit their schedules\, with the simple request to arrive 5-10 minutes early to avoid disruptions. \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. Come embrace the joy of reading at Silent Book Club Beaufort!
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/silent-book-club-beaufort-13/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250109T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250109T193000
DTSTAMP:20260908T104522Z
CREATED:20260818T204524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T104522Z
UID:10001726-1736445600-1736451000@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:Virtual Open Mic Night -- Featuring Niles Reddick\, Author of Who's Going to Pray for Me Now?
DESCRIPTION:The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be as a virtual event\, live-streamed to our Facebook page\, on Thursday\, January 9\, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured presenter is Niles Reddick\, award-winning short story writer and author of Who’s Going to Pray for Me Now? Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres. \nInterested in reading as part of virtual Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org. \nAbout Our Featured Author:\nNiles Reddick is author of a novel\, four short fiction collections\, and two novellas. His work has appeared in over five hundredpublications including The Saturday Evening Post\, New Reader Magazine\, Cheap Pop\, Flash Fiction Magazine\, Citron Review\, Hong Kong Review\, and Vestal Review. \n“Even though we don’t know when it’s going to happen\, be damn sure\, if it’s going epic than we need a 1965 Skylark\, fast and focused with a smooth and graceful landing\, to help blast the transition! Reddick presses fiction into the ultimate excursion. DEATH! Who’s Going To Pray For Me Now is a mesmerizing collection: flammable and saturating tales of those final moments when we become feverish weeds whacked into oblivion. These narrative adventures are palpable and inescapable. LOVE! GET A COPY”–Meg Tuite\, author of White Van and an editor at Bending Genres \n“The stories in Niles Reddick’s Who’s Going to Pray for Me Now? show us what it means to be in the know\, whether it’s the inside of a 1965 Skylark or the way to handle snakes in a county church. But there’s also a lot of heart here\, the little hurts and reconciliations of coupledom in a world where two equals more than one plus one. The best flash fiction keeps opening outward after you’ve read it. Reddick’s stories do that and more.”—David Galef\, author of My Date with Neanderthal Woman and editor of Vestal Review
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/virtual-open-mic-night-featuring-niles-reddick-author-of-whos-going-to-pray-for-me-now/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241214T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241214T160000
DTSTAMP:20260908T104522Z
CREATED:20260818T204524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T104522Z
UID:10001729-1734184800-1734192000@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:Drop-In Book Signing for Local Children's Author Nancy E. Merrill\, Author of Elf Dust
DESCRIPTION:The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host a free public drop-in book signing for local children’s author Nancy E. Merrill\, author of the holiday picture book Elf Dust. Join us outside (weather permitting) on Saturday\, December 14\, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) in downtown Beaufort. No advance registration required. Books will be available for sale and signing.  \nAbout the Book and Author:\nElf Dust is a charming and captivating look into the world of elves\, their visits to see children and how they magically evade humans and pets and always leave their magical calling card. \n“A new addition to our Christmas library. Children will fall in love with the elves and Elf Dust. The illustrations bring you back to your childhood. Absolutely beautiful. This book will be your go to picture book this holiday season. Can’t wait to use this with my class.”–Heidi Lane\, author and educator  \nNancy E. Merrill is a mom of two children who were born in Hong Kong where she lived and worked for many years. Living there was an important element in the creation of Elf Dust. Highrise apartment life meant there were no chimneys and Santa wasn’t going to land on the roof. Something had to be found to ignite imagination and magic for her kids. Elf Dust did not disappoint. Today\, Nancy lives in South Carolina after a consulting career around writing\, communications\, and creativity. She is delighted to offer Elf Dust to all who celebrate Christmas and the magic of imagination.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/drop-in-book-signing-for-local-childrens-author-nancy-e-merrill-author-of-elf-dust/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241212T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241212T193000
DTSTAMP:20260908T104522Z
CREATED:20260818T204524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T104522Z
UID:10001730-1734026400-1734031800@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:Open Mic Night -- Featuring Nancy E. Merrill\, Author of the Children's Book Elf Dust
DESCRIPTION:The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be held at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) on Thursday\, December 12\, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured presenters is Nancy E. Merrill\, author of the new children’s holiday book Elf Dust. Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres. \nInterested in reading as part of Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org. \nAbout Our Featured Presenter\nNancy E. Merrill is a mom of two children who were born in Hong Kong where she lived and worked for many years. Living there was an important element in the creation of Elf Dust. Highrise apartment life meant there were no chimneys and Santa wasn’t going to land on the roof. Something had to be found to ignite imagination and magic for her kids. Elf Dust did not disappoint. Today\, Nancy lives in South Carolina after a consulting career around writing\, communications\, and creativity. She is delighted to offer Elf Dust to all who celebrate Christmas and the magic of imagination. \nAbout Elf Dust’s Illustrator\nColleen Sgroi dreamed of being an artist since she was a young girl. Her work is available worldwide on puzzles\, calendars\, prints\, and greeting cards\, and her art has been included in films by major motion picture companies. Her illustrations in children’s books have earned her a Moonbeam Best Illustrator Award\, Feathered Quill Book Award\, Mom’s Choice Awards\, and IBS International Book Awards. She lives and creates in Massachusetts.  \n“A new addition to our Christmas library. Children will fall in love with the elves and Elf Dust. The illustrations bring you back to your childhood. Absolutely beautiful. This book will be your go to picture book this holiday season. Can’t wait to use this with my class.”–Heidi Lane\, author and educator
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/open-mic-night-featuring-nancy-e-merrill-author-of-the-childrens-book-elf-dust/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241208T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241208T140000
DTSTAMP:20260908T104522Z
CREATED:20260818T204524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T104522Z
UID:10001731-1733659200-1733666400@patconroyliterarycenter.org
SUMMARY:Book Launch and Reading for Jared Madison\, Author of The 30 Day Guide to Inner Peace
DESCRIPTION:The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host a book launch for Beaufortonian Jared Madison\, author of The 30 Day Guide to Inner Peace\, on Sunday\, December 8\, from noon to 2:00 p.m.\, at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.\, Beaufort). Free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing. Light refreshments provided. Please call in advance to reserve: (843) 379-7025. \nAbout the Book: \nOne of three writers of the “Wholly Holistics” column in Lowcountry Weekly and host of the blog\, “Magical Minute”(Instagram and TikTok @themagicalminute)\, Jared Madison has penned a self-help book for people who want more peace in their lives. In The 30 Day Guide to Inner Peace\, Madison shares the method that helped him find his own inner peace through an immersion into positive life changes\, a day at a time\, for 30 days. \nEach day offers a message and a practice. For example\, the practice for Day 7 suggests that whenever you feel stuck\, take a nap. Napping involves letting go\, accepting\, and getting comfortable with the seeming non-movement you’re experiencing. Purely practical. \nRepresentative chapters include: “Judge Not\,” “Radical Acceptance\,” “What Do You Fear?” “What No Longer Serves You?” “Peace Through Forgiveness\,” and “Making a Loving Commitment to Yourself.” \nAccording to Madison\, to attain inner peace\, you must look inside yourself with a clear mind\, see and accept whatever you observe\, change the things you don’t like\, and move ahead.\n“Life gives us no shortage of experiences that may normally trigger an adverse reaction within us\,” says Madison. “However\, [in this book] you are given the tools to counteract your reactiveness. Instead\, you will find yourself responding.”  \nAbout the Author:\nJared Madison is an entrepreneur and business owner\, an artist\, a writer\, a Reiki practitioner\, a student of quantum physics\, and a passionate traveler who has spent his life being a student of self-development. Realizing the link between science and spirituality\, Madison began studying quantum physics in 2014 by attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s free online quantum physics classes. From there Madison would go on to obtain an associate’s degree in Math & Science\, with plans to further his education in the field of Cell Development and Genetics. In 2015\, Madison launched a successful clothing brand company based in Tempe\, Arizona\, with a focus on meaningful spiritually symbolic design graphics. Today his clothing company has grown into 4 distinct brands with a remolded business blueprint launching in early 2025. In 2020\, Madison returned to Beaufort\, after a successful stent in Los Angeles\, and began the realization and life changes which have now culminated in The 30 Day Guide To Inner Peace\, his third book. Madison is engaged to fiancé Kanani Robinson and is more than proud to call his mother one of his best friends. He has a fur child named Mama Kitty.
URL:https://patconroyliterarycenter.org/calendar/book-launch-and-reading-for-jared-madison-author-of-the-30-day-guide-to-inner-peace/
LOCATION:601 Bladen Street\, Beaufort\, SC\, United States\, South Carolina 29902
CATEGORIES:Other
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