Volume 23.02 | May 2019

Hey Out There
News from the Pat Conroy Literary Center
The Conroy Center Was Voted Beaufort's Favorite Museum!

THANK YOU! We're honored to be selected as Beaufort's favorite museum in Eat Stay Play Beaufort's 2019 Best of Beaufort Awards. Great love and great thanks to everyone who voted for our nonprofit Conroy Center — and congratulations to all of our fellow winners too! We're in such good company. Pat Conroy was once again voted favorite local author!
Stories from Our Supporters
Our second annual Camp Conroy will begin on June 17. We look forward to welcoming our 30 young writers, artists, and photographers for their two-week build-a-book experience. With great thanks to a generous group of donors, we have been able to offer scholarships to a dozen of this year's campers — including this wonderfully talented group of students from Robert Smalls International Academy: Trent, Sincerity, Joanna, McKayla, Zariah, and Tamara (photographed with Dr. Lawton and the Conroy Center's Maura Connelly).

To learn more about how you can support the educational mission of our nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center with a charitable gift, please visit us at the links below.
Our Prince of Scribes Wins an IPPY
Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy has been honored with the Silver Medal for Best Regional Nonfiction in the Southeast in the 2019 Independent Publisher Book Awards. Congratulations to co-editors novelist Nicole Seitz  and Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt  and to their 65 fellow contributing writers featured in the anthology on winning a prestigious IPPY Award! Our Prince of Scribes is available in the Pat Conroy Literary Center’s gift shop and wherever fine books are sold. Sales support the year-round educational mission of our nonprofit Conroy Center.

To date, more than 50 of the 67 contributing writers have participated in the ongoing book tour for Our Prince of Scribes . For upcoming tour dates, please see our calendar of events below.
OUR CALENDAR OF EVENTS
An Evening with Robert Hicks, May 30
Robert Hicks is the New York Times best-selling author of the historical novels The Widow of the South, The Orphan Mother, and A Separate Country. The Conroy Center will host Hicks for a free public talk about his writing life on May 30, at 5:30 p.m. A book signing will follow the program.

Praise for The Widow of the South: "Carrie McGavock witnessed the Battle of Franklin in Tennessee, on a day in 1864 when 9,000 soldiers were slaughtered, the vast majority of them Confederate. Carrie, the central character in this mesmerizing novel, was an actual historical figure.... The author gracefully yet forcefully enters the psychology of various individuals, each one representing a certain side in not only the battle at hand but also in the overarching context of nation rending." — Booklist, STARRED review
Scribes at West Ashley B&N, June 1
"More than 60 writers — from Pulitzer Prize winners to Conroy relatives to Barbra Streisand — fill  Our Prince of Scribes  with personal stories about [Pat Conroy's] impact. Some address his complex personality, while others, like Nathalie Dupree, offer corrections to his 'tall tales.' The result is a moving, entertaining read as genuine as the icon himself." —Charleston Magazine

The  Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy  book tour comes to the West Ashley Barnes & Noble in Charleston, SC, on Saturday, June 1, at 1:00 p.m. Featured writers for this conversation and signing are Nathalie Dupree, Jonathan Haupt, Josephine Humphreys, and Sean Scapellato . Book sales from this event benefit the Cynthia Graham Hurd Foundation for Literacy and Civic Engagement . Free and open to the public; a book signing will follow the panel discussion. Sales of  Our Prince of Scribes  support the educational mission of our nonprofit Conroy Center.
Three-Week Creativity Workshop Begins June 4
The Self at the Center of Creativity , led by Emily Davis-Fletcher , is a three-part workshop for writers and artists that will include discussions, readings, writing prompts, and activities to stabilize and deepen your creativity and to bring more authenticity and enthusiasm to your own unique creative practice. This workshop will be held in the Conroy Center and is limited to 10 participants. $100/person. Two scholarships are available based on financial need. To learn more and to register, visit the link below.
OLLI Presentation by Frye Galliard, June 5
Frye Gaillard will share stories and insights from his award-winning book, A Hard Rain: America in the 1960s, Our Decade of Hope, Possibility, and Innocence Lost , and will talk about lessons and warnings the ‘60s might hold for today. This presentation will examine a pivotal decade in American history through the lens of politics and social movements, but also the cultural measures of change, including music, literature, and visual arts.

Presented on June 5, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the USCB Bluffton campus, this course is offered in partnership between the Conroy Center and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at USCB. OLLI summer classes are free for members and open to non-members for $10 per class.

Praise for A Hard Rain: “Older readers will find this a sobering retrospective, and for those who didn’t live through the ’60s, it’s an enlightening picture of America at a historic juncture.”— Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
Sallie Ann Robinson Cooking Class, June 7
Chef and cultural historian Sallie Ann Robinson is a sixth-generation native of Daufuskie Island and the author of the cookbooks Gullah Home Cooking the Daufuskie Way and Cooking the Gullah Way, Morning, Noon, and Night. She is coauthor with Jenny Hersch of Daufuskie Island in the Images of America series and a contributing writer to Our Prince of Scribes. Robinson appears as Ethel in Conroy's memoir The Water Is Wide .

Join the Daufuskie Diva herself for a special evening of cooking demonstrations and storytelling. Learn how to capture the taste of the lowcountry as Sallie Ann leads you on a trip through the history of Gullah cuisine with stories from her native Daufuskie Island. She will demonstrate some of her favorite recipes — baby back ribs and crab rice — followed by a tasting and book signing. Held in the Conroy Center, seating is limited for this special event. $35/person. Pre-register at the link below.
OLLI Workshop with Curtis Derrick, June 10 & 12
Film-making is the most widely consumed art form ever created. It’s also one of the most diverse and collaborative. Led by Curtis Derrick , this course is designed to heighten your awareness of on- and off-screen contributions and raise consciousness of the roles of design arts, the art in the camera work, sound design, and editing.

Presented on June 10 and 12, 1:00-3:00 p.m., at the USCB Beaufort campus, this two-day course is offered in partnership between the Conroy Center and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at USCB. OLLI summer classes are free for members and open to non-members for $10 per class.
Book Club: The Great Santini, June 13
The third Pat Conroy Literary Center Book Club meeting will be held on June 13 at 5:30 p.m. and led by poet and retired educator Tim Conroy as we discuss Pat Conroy's first novel, The Great Santini, published in 1976 and later adapted for film. The Great Santin i takes us into the family life of a fighter pilot, Bull Meecham. As the oldest child, Ben takes the brunt of his father's criticism and violence.This is the story of a boy's determination to be himself, whatever that may be.

Each monthly book club session will be led by a guest discussion leader and held at the Conroy Center. These events are free, but advance registration is required and seating is limited. Participants are asked to read the books before the meetings and to come prepared for discussion.
Camp Conroy Begins, June 17
Registration is now full for this event.

The Conroy Center’s second annual Camp Conroy: Build a Book is a two-week summer camp to be held June 17-28, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Presented in partnership with Beaufort Middle School, the program will provide campers, age 8-15, with a hands-on program of book building from start to finish.This year’s theme is “Garbage and the 4 R’s: Recycle, Reuse, Renew, and Repurpose, Making the World a Better Place.” Participants will engage in writing, illustrating, photographing, editing and storyboarding, and producing a book. Our camp instructors are Lisa Anne Cullen , Miho Kinnas , and Maura Connelly .
Library Tour Comes to Ballentine, June 27
Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt will discuss best-selling author Pat Conroy’s lifelong love of books and libraries—focusing on the roles public libraries, school libraries, and Pat’s own personal library played in his writing life. Through video and audio clips, photographs, and published and unpublished writings by and about Conroy, this presentation welcomes attendees into the book-filled world of one of America’s most beloved writers.

Free and open to the public, this touring presentation comes the Richland Library's Ballentine Branch on June 27, at 6:00 p.m.
Scribes Writers Conference, June 29
Join Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy contributing writers Stephanie Austin Edwards, Ellen Malphrus, Sean A. Scapellato, Marjory Wentworth, Jonathan Haupt, and Alex Sanders for a lively series of four writing workshops and a panel discussion at Charleston's Circular Congregational Church on Saturday, June 29 — presented in partnership between the Conroy Center, South Carolina Writers Association, Buxton Books , and the Companion Foundation.

$50 for SCWA members and $70 for non-members, all-day registration includes all 4 workshops, the panel discussion, a catered lunch, and a closing reception. Books by presenting workshop faculty — including Our Prince of Scribes — will be available for sale and signing.

" Our Prince of Scribes isn't just a collection of homages but also a delightful introduction to Conroy's vast and talented circle of friends." — Washington Post
Loud's Slam Camp Begins July 8
The Conroy Center is a proud promotional partner — along with the Beaufort Arts Council and 1212design — of Slam Camp 201 9, presented by Loud . To learn more about this 6-week performance poetry camp for young poets ages 13 to 18, please visit  www.loudinc.org.
Book Club: The Lords of Discipline, July 16
Registration is now full for this event.

The fourth Pat Conroy Literary Center Book Club meeting will be held on July 16 at 5:30 p.m. and led by Citadel English professor Sean Heuston as we discuss Pat Conroy's second novel, The Lords of Discipline, published in 1980 and later adapted for film. The novel sweeps us into the turbulent world of four young men—military college cadets, friends, and blood brothers—and their days of hazing, heartbreak, pride, betrayal, and, ultimately, humanity.

Each monthly book club session will be led by a guest discussion leader and held at the Conroy Center. These events are free, but advance registration is required and seating is limited. Participants are asked to read the books before the meetings and to come prepared for discussion.
OLLI Presentation: Conroy as Reader, July 17
The author of The Prince of Tides, The Great Santini , and The Water Is Wide , Pat Conroy (1945–2016) is synonymous with the lowcountry. Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt will discuss Conroy’s love of reading—focusing on the importance of his mother Peggy Conroy in fostering Pat’s love of reading and of libraries in continuing that great love over the course of a lifetime. Through video clips, photographs, and published and unpublished writings by and about Conroy, this presentation welcomes attendees into the book-filled world of one of America’s most beloved writers.

Presented on July 17, 1:00-3:00 p.m., at the USCB Hilton Head campus, this two-hour course is offered in partnership between the Conroy Center and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at USCB. OLLI summer classes are free for members and open to non-members for $10 per class.
Scribes at Main Street Reads, July 18
"Pat Conroy's death in 2016 left a colossal void in the literary landscape, but his spirit survives not only in the legacy of his work but in new books like this collection of funny, bittersweet recollections by those who knew him. Most contributors are Southern authors, many of them influenced by the long shadow he cast in the publishing world."— Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The  Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy  book tour comes to the Main Street Reads bookstore in Summerville, SC, on Thursday, July 18, at 1:00 p.m. Featured writers for this discussion are co-editor J onathan Haupt and novelists Stephanie Austin Edwards and John Warley . Each author in this collection shares a slightly different view of Conroy. Through their voices, a vibrant, multifaceted portrait of him comes to life and sheds new light on the writer and the man. Free and open to the public; a book signing will follow the discussion. Sales of  Our Prince of Scribes  support the educational mission of our nonprofit Conroy Center.
Scribes at Savannah B&N, July 20
"In Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy , edited by Nicole Seitz and Jonathan Haupt, a collection of writers navigate the rich and often complicated landscape that was Conroy's life.... Many of the writers have benefited from Conroy's nurturing, and through their stories, they seek to honor his memory and continue to advance his unmistakable impact on modern literature."— Augusta Chronicle

The  Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy  book tour comes to the Savannah Barnes & Noble on Saturday, July 20, at 1:00 p.m. Featured writers for this conversation and signing are co-editor Jonathan Haupt and novelist John Warley. Free and open to the public; a book signing will follow the discussion. Sales of  Our Prince of Scribes  support the educational mission of our nonprofit Conroy Center.
An Evening with Jessica Handler, Aug 6
Jessica Handler's debut novel The Magnetic Girl has been named one of Wall Street Journal's Ten Books You'll Want to Read This Spring, an Indie Next Pick, and a Spring Okra Pick from the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance. The Conroy Center will host Handler for a book discussion on Tuesday, August 6, at 5:30 p.m. Free and open to the public, the discussion will be followed by a book signing.

"Handler captures the ambivalence of female adolescence, where the newfound ability to captivate others exists in unsteady balance with the fear of loss of independence. A thoroughly fresh historical novel that both captures the essence of its time and echoes challenges that still exist today."— Kirkus Reviews, STARRED Review
Book Club: The Prince of Tides, Aug 20
Registration is now full for this event.

The fifth Pat Conroy Literary Center Book Club meeting will be held on August 20 at 5:30 p.m. and led by USC Beaufort writer-in-residence English professor Ellen Malphrus as we discuss Pat Conroy's best-selling novel, The Prince of Tides, published in 1986 and later adapted for film in 1991. The Prince of Tides tells the story of Tom Wingo, his twin sister, Savannah, and the dark and violent past of the family into which they were born. With passion and a rare gift of language, Conroy moves from present to past, tracing the amazing history of the Wingos from World War II through the final days of the war in Vietnam and into the 1980s, drawing a rich range of characters, capturing the vanishing beauty of the lowcountry.

Each monthly book club session will be led by a guest discussion leader and held at the Conroy Center. These events are free, but advance registration is required and seating is limited. Participants are asked to read the books before the meetings and to come prepared for discussion.
Conroy Center at the Decatur Book Festival
Look for the Conroy Center’s exhibitor tent at the AJC Decatur Book Festival , held in beautiful downtown Decatur, GA. It’s your opportunity to learn more about the year-round programming of the Conroy Center and our annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival. Meet Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt and Conroy Center board member and Pat Conroy’s daughter Jessica Conroy , see exhibit materials from Pat’s writing life, and purchase selected collectibles and books from our gift shop.

For more about the Decatur Book Festival, including a full schedule of events, list of presenting authors, and a festival area map, please visit  www.decaturbookfestival.com
Lowcountry Book Club Convention, Sept 28
The Conroy Center’s third annual Lowcountry Book Club Convention is a day of educational conversations and fellowship programs for book club members and those considering joining a book club. This free public event is presented in partnership with the Technical College of the Lowcountry and NeverMore Books , and is funded in part by a generous gift from the Pulpwood Queens Book Club .

Keynoting our Lowcountry Book Club Convention this year will be Kim Michele Richardson , author of  The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek , in conversation with fellow novelist Bren McClain , author of  One Good Mama Bone . Also scheduled to appear: the Pulpwood Queen herself, Kathy L. Murphy ( The Pulpwood Queens Tiara-Wearing Book-Sharing Guide to Life) ; Kacey Kowars ( A Celebration of Words and Another Celebration of Words ); Mary Ann Henry ( Ladies in Low Places ); Kathryn Taylor ( Two Minus One ); Jonathan Haupt ( Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy ); and Margaret Evans , publisher and columnist of the Lowcountry Weekly.

For a full schedule of events and registration information, please visit the link below.
Book Club: Beach Music, Sept 28
The sixth Conroy Center Book Club meeting will be led by Lowcountry Weekly publisher and columnist Margaret Evans as we discuss Conroy’s novel Beach Music , published in 1995. This book club meeting will be held as the opening session in the Conroy Center’s third annual Lowcountry Book Club Convention and will meet in the auditorium of McLean Hall at the Technical College of the Lowcountry at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 28 . In Beach Music , Conroy writes of the dark memories that haunt generations, in a story that spans South Carolina and Rome and reaches back into the unutterable terrors of the Holocaust.

Each monthly book club session will be led by a guest discussion leader. These events are free, but advance registration is required and seating is limited. Participants are asked to read the books before the meetings and to come prepared for discussion.
Scribes at First Presbyterian of HHI, Sept 29
"Pat Conroy had a profound impact on the literary world. His work has inspired countless writers,and his generous spirit encouraged many to follow in his footsteps. Their appreciation for his support can be seen in a new collection of essays titled Our Prince of Scribes . Jonathan Haupt, executive director of the Pat Conroy Literary Center, and novelist Nicole Seitz gathered stories from 67 writers about Conroy and his impact on their lives.... [T]he underlying theme is that he never stopped mentoring."— Hilton Head Monthly

The  Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy  book tour comes to First Presbyterian Church of Hilton Head Island on Sunday, September 29, at 5:00 p.m. Featured writers for this conversation and signing are co-editor Jonathan Haupt, Stephanie Austin Edwards, David Lauderdale, Bren McCLain, and Kathy L. Murphy. Free and open to the public; a book signing will follow the discussion. Sales of  Our Prince of Scribes  support the educational mission of our nonprofit Conroy Center.
Book Club: My Losing Season, Oct 15
The seventh Conroy Center Book Club meeting will be led by novelist and attorney Scott Graber , a Citadel classmate of Conroy's, as we discuss Conroy's memoir My Losing Season, published in 2002. In My Losing Season , Conroy takes the reader through his last year playing basketball, as point guard and captain of the Citadel Bulldogs. Flashing back constantly to the drama of his coming of age, he presents all the conflict and love that have been at the core of his novels.

Each monthly book club session will be led by a guest discussion leader and held at the Conroy Center. These events are free, but advance registration is required and seating is limited. Participants are asked to read the books before the meetings and to come prepared for discussion.
Scribes at Coligny Theatre, Oct 30
"A moving tribute to the legacy of one of the South's brightest lights."— Garden & Gun's Talk of the South

"In these essays, you'll meet a man who was troubled, tormented, angry, scathing, outrageous, hilarious, tender, noble, brave, and generous beyond measure. But most of all, you'll meet a man who damn-well knew how to love. And thanks to the devoted efforts of co-editors Jonathan Haupt and Nicole Seitz, and the work of 67 very fine writers, his legion of fans will come to love Pat Conroy even more than they already do."— Lowcountry Weekly

As part of the annual Crescendo arts festival, the  Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy  book tour comes to Coligny Theatre on Hilton Head Island on Wednesday, October 30, at 6:00 p.m. Featured writers for this conversation and signing are co-editor Jonathan Haupt, David Lauderdale, Ellen Malphrus, Sallie Ann Robnson, and Larry Rowland. A book signing will follow the discussion. Sales of  Our Prince of Scribes  support the educational mission of our nonprofit Conroy Center.

This is a ticketed event; $15/person. Registration opens on June 1.
Book Club: Pat Conroy Cookbook, Nov 21
The eighth Conroy Center Book Club meeting will be led by food writer and caterer Debbi Covington as we discuss The Pat Conroy Cookbook , published in 2004. Delighting us with tales of his passion for cooking and good food and the people, places, and great meals he has experienced, Conroy mixes them together with mouthwatering recipes from the Deep South and the world beyond. A master storyteller and passionate cook, Conroy believes that "A recipe is a story that ends with a good meal."

Each monthly book club session will be led by a guest discussion leader and held at the Conroy Center. Advance registration is required and seating is limited. Participants are asked to read the books before the meetings and to come prepared for discussion.

This is a ticketed event. The $20/person registration fee includes a tasting of recipes prepared from The Pat Conroy Cookbook.
Book Club: South of Broad, Dec 10
The ninth Conroy Center Book Club meeting will be led by Charleston writer and attorney Sean Scapellato as we discuss Conroy's novel South of Broad , published in 2009. Against the sumptuous backdrop of Charleston, SC, South of Broad gathers a unique cast of sinners and saints and an ever-widening circle whose liaisons will ripple across two decades from 1960s counterculture through the dawn of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.

Each monthly book club session will be led by a guest discussion leader and held at the Conroy Center. These events are free, but advance registration is required and seating is limited. Participants are asked to read the books before the meetings and to come prepared for discussion.
Book Club: My Reading Life, Jan 14
The tenth Conroy Center Book Club meeting will be led by Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt as we discuss Conroy's memoir My Reading Life , published in 2010. Starting as a childhood passion that bloomed into a life-long companion, reading became Pat Conroy's portal to the world, both to the furthest corners of the globe and to the deepest chambers of the human soul. My Reading Life show us that reading was for Conroy more than a pleasure to be enjoyed in off-hours or a source of inspiration for his own writing. Indeed, reading saved his life.

Each monthly book club session will be led by a guest discussion leader and held at the Conroy Center. These events are free, but advance registration is required and seating is limited. Participants are asked to read the books before the meetings and to come prepared for discussion.
Save the Dates
Our second annual Pat Conroy Literary Center Children's Book Fair will be held on October 12 in partnership with the Santa Elena History Center in Beaufort.

Our fourth annual Pat Conroy Literary Festival is scheduled for November 1-3 in Beaufort, with preview events on October 29 & 30 — featuring Delia Owens , author of the #1 New York Times best-selling novel Where the Crawdads Sing and many more presenters to be announced in June.
Visit Us at the Pat Conroy Literary Center
The Conroy Center is Open to the Public Thursday-Sunday, noon-4:00 p.m .

" If you’re a Pat Conroy fan, this is a MUST visit ! I learned so much about Pat Conroy through our visit to the Center. The exhibits are beautifully presented to give a broad overview of Pat Conroy, the man and writer." — TripAdvisor review

Visit us in person in Pat Conroy's beloved Beaufort. The Pat Conroy Literary Center is South Carolina's first affiliate of the American Writers Museum and an American Library Association United for Libraries Literary Landmark . The Conroy Center is open to the public Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free.

In partnership with Beaufort Tours , the Conroy Center also offers 90-minute van tours of Pat Conroy's adopted hometown, including sites related to Pat's books and films. Available daily at 2:00 p.m. with advance registration . $30/adult.
 
Pat Conroy Literary Center | 905 Port Republic St., Beaufort, SC 29902
843-379-7025 | contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org