Pat Conroy Literary Center executive director Jonathan Haupt reads three excerpts from the award-winning anthology Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy, on behalf of the 2021 Upcountry Literary Festival, hosted by the University of South Carolina Union and presented virtually on May 7-8. To see other recorded readings from the Upcountry Literary Festival, please visit www.usculiteraryfestival.com/2021-presenters. Book sales from Our Prince of Scribes help support the year-round educational mission of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center. https://ugapress.org/book/9780820354484/our-prince-of-scribes www.patconroyliterarycenter.org

“The poets of the world occupy a place of high honor in my city of books.”— Pat Conroy, My Reading Life For National Poetry Month, the Charleston County Public Library hosted the Pat Conroy Literary Center's Jonathan Haupt and Holland Perryman as they explored Conroy’s lifelong relationship with poetry as a reader, as a self-described failed poet, and as a writer who found a creative outlet for the rhapsody and rhythms of poetry in his iconic lyrical and descriptive prose. Conroy’s love of language blossomed from an early love of poetry, and even in his final hours, he was immersed in the beauty and power of verse. Through discussion of Pat’s teachers, mentors, favorite poets, and fellow advocates of poetry, and through published and unpublished examples of his writings spanning the breadth of his life, this presentation fosters a new appreciation for his admiration of poetry, for his dedication to the writing craft, and for the myriad ways in which poetry shines through Conroy’s storied prose. Our thanks to Karli Gallagher for hosting, introducing, and making available this video version on behalf of CCPL. This presentation was originally created in collaboration with poet and retired educator Tim Conroy, author of Theologies of Terrain. About our Presenters: Jonathan Haupt is the executive director of the Pat Conroy Literary Center and the former director of the University of South Carolina Press. Jonathan's book reviews and author interviews have appeared in the Charleston Post and Courier, Lowcountry Weekly, Beaufort Lifestyle, Savannah Morning News Beacon magazine, the Southern Review of Books, and Southern Writers Magazines Suite T blog. He is co-editor with Nicole Seitz of Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy, the winner of 17 book awards. Jonathan also serves on the boards of the South Carolina Academy of Authors and the Friends of South Carolina Libraries and on the advisory board of the South Carolina Humanities and the affiliates steering committee of the American Writers Museum. In 2020, he was recognized with the Doug Marlette Literacy Leadership Award presented by the Pulpwood Queens, the largest book club in the U.S. Holland Perryman is the Pat Conroy Literary Center’s first student intern. A Beaufort High School junior and the student body vice president, she was the recipient of the creative writing award for a competition inspired by the Conroy Center’s March Forth partnership at BHS in 2019. Holland was also a finalist for the inaugural Ann Head Literary Prize for Short Story in 2020, and she was selected for the Creative Writing Academy Program at the SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities in 2019. Her work has been published in the Charleston Post and Courier, Lowcountry Weekly, the Southern Review of Books, and Stretching Skyward, the Camp Conroy 2020 anthology. (Photo by Susan DeLoach for Beaufort Lifestyle) www.patconroyliterarycenter.org

Novelist Kathleen M. Rodgers, author of The Flying Cutterbucks, is the April featured guest author of Beaufort chapter of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club, the largest book club in the U.S. Learn more about Kathleen at https://kathleenmrodgers.com. Thank you to Char M. Lane for hosting and coordinating this book club meeting and all past meetings of our Beaufort Pulpwood Queens. And congratulations to Janet McCauley, newly named Queen of our Beaufort chapter. On May 18, our Beaufort Pulpwood Queens will meet with Leslie Lehr, author of A Boob's Life: How America's Obsession Shaped Me--And You.

For National Poetry Month, the Conroy Center hosted a reading by the international Moon and Sun poetry group, hosted by Emily Davis-Fletcher and featuring poets Doris Wright, Heather Johnson, Susanna Trifiletti, Jacquelyn Markham, June Labyzon, Andrew Bellacomo, Jayne Forsythe, Susan Madison, Robin Dare, and Theresa White. Our thanks to these wonderful writers for sharing their time and talents with us. Learn more about the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center at www.patconroyliterarycenter.org

Robyn Zimmerman, host of WHHI-TV’s North of the Broad, interviews Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt about the Center's 4th annual Camp Conroy summer camp for young writers and artists, ages 8 to 14, to be held this July 12-24. Learn more and register at https://campconroy2021.eventbrite.com. Learn more about the year-round educational mission of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center at www.patconroyliterarycenter.org.

The Pat Conroy Literary Center's monthly Open Mic Night is presented in partnership with the South Carolina Writers Association and hosted by Brooke McKinney. Reading this month were Barry Dickson, Susan Gene McCartney, Laura Mahaffey, Elizabeth Robin, Brooke McKinney, and our featured writers, the Otram Slabess poetry group: Jacquelyn Markham, Olivia Stiffler, Warren Slesinger, Quitman Marshall, and Emily Davis-Fletcher.

"Writers of the world, if you've got a story, I want to hear it. I promise it will follow me to my last breath."—Pat Conroy, My Reading Life New York Times best-selling writer Pat Conroy (1945–2016) inspired a worldwide legion of devoted fans numbering in the millions, but none are more loyal to him and more committed to sustaining his literary legacy than the many writers he nurtured over the course of his 50-year writing life. In sharing their stories in Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy, 67 of his fellow writers honor his memory. Volume co-editor and executive director of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center Jonathan Haupt will discuss Conroy's legacy as friend, mentor, and champion to his tribe of scribes. This free virtual program was originally presented for Richland Library and hosted by Kristen Amsden on 7/16/20. Learn more about Richland Library at www.richlandlibrary.com. ABOUT OUR PRESENTER: Jonathan Haupt is the executive director of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center and the former director of the University of South Carolina Press, where he created the Story River Books fiction imprint with Pat Conroy, named by Garden & Gun magazine as one of "the top ten things to love about the South." Jonathan’s book reviews and author interviews have appeared in the Charleston Post and Courier, Beaufort Lowcountry Weekly, Beaufort Lifestyle magazine, Savannah Morning News’ Beacon magazine, the Southern Review of Books, and Southern Writers Magazine’s Suite T blog. He is co-editor with Nicole Seitz of the anthology Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy, the recipient of more than a dozen book awards. Learn more at www.patconroyliterarycenter.org

Kick-Start National Poetry Month Reading, presented with the Island Writers Network—featuring poets Elizabeth Abrams, Michael Bassett, Tim Conroy, Barry Dickson, Miho Kinnas, Marilyn Lorenz, Susan Madison, Brooke McKinney, Horace Mungin, Bill Newby, Meryl Newell, Connor Nold, Elizabeth Robin, and Olivia Stiffler. Learn more about the Island Writers Network at www.islandwritersnetworkhhi.org. Learn more about the Pat Conroy Literary Center at www.patconroyliterarycenter.org.

The Pat Conroy Literary Center honors the writing and teaching life of one of America's best-loved storytellers, the author of The Water Is Wide, The Great Santini, The Lords of Discipline, and The Prince of Tides. The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center is South Carolina's only affiliate of the American Writers Museum and second American Library Association Literary Landmark, Tripadvisor's top-rated destination in Beaufort, South Carolina, and winner of Beaufort's 2019 Civitas Award for Tourism Leadership. Newly relocated at 601 Bladen Street in historic Beaufort, the Conroy Center is open to the public for guided tours Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4:00 p.m.--or other times by appointment. Admission is free, donations are welcome. To learn more about the educational mission of the Conroy Center--and our full calendar of virtual and in-person programs--please visit us online at www.patconroyliterarycenter.org, on Facebook, or in person at 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC 29902.

Let's Talk Book Reviews with Annie McDonnell of the Write Review. (Part 1 of 2: March 18, 2021) Write Review founder Annie McDonnell discusses the importance of readers' book reviews and the various ways in which readers can write and post reviews in support of favorite books and writers in the first of this free two-part workshop, Let's Talk Book Reviews. A lifelong reader and advocate for writers and books, Annie McDonnell is a graduate of High Point University (NC). In 2006, she entered a contest with Elle Magazine and become a book reviewer for the magazine. When Elle stopped running book reviews, Annie moved to blogging and eventually began the Write Review. An entire community was born. Annie writes book reviews, beta reads, blurbs books, runs a book club, interviews authors, and hosts fun, interactive events to promote literacy. In recognition of her many efforts, Annie was awarded the 2021 Doug Marlette Award for Literacy Leadership, a lifetime achievement award presented by the Pulpwood Queens, the largest book club in the U.S. In February 2021, the Annie McDonnell Book Award was announced, honoring her dedication to the literary community and her courage and strength in battling a rare illness. Annie lives in Mastic, NY, with her husband, three beautiful dogs and five lovely cats. She also volunteers at One Love Dog Rescue and supports Operation Paperback and Children’s Literacy. Learn more at https://thewritereview.com www.facebook.com/thewritereview